The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has apprehended four individuals — including two sisters — for orchestrating a fake kidnapping plot to extort N5 million from their father.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the case was reported by Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II. He had informed the Jikwoyi Police Division that his 16-year-old daughter, Lead Way Innocent, went missing on July 18, 2025, after leaving home to sit for an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu.
Later that day, Mr. Innocent received a call from unidentified individuals demanding N5 million for the girl’s release.
“Following the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer of Jikwoyi promptly initiated a discreet investigation,” the statement read. “Through coordinated intelligence and digital surveillance, the phone number used by the alleged kidnappers was traced to a residence in Jikwoyi Phase II.”
Police operatives raided the location and found Lead Way Innocent there, unharmed, and in the company of one Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. According to the statement, both women were seen eating and chatting, showing no indication of a kidnapping scenario.
Further inquiries led to the arrest of Lead Way’s older sister, Joy Innocent, and her boyfriend, Mayowa Adedeji. Investigations revealed that Joy had collaborated with Adedeji — who is legally married to Tina — to fake the abduction of her younger sister as part of a plot to swindle their father.
The police added that Lead Way was not an innocent bystander but was actively involved in the plan. “She knowingly stayed with the co-conspirators throughout the period she was presumed missing, while her sister Joy stayed home pretending to be unaware, watching their parents in distress as they tried to raise the ransom,” the statement noted.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, strongly condemned the act, describing it as a disturbing example of betrayal from within the family.
He urged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s emotional health and behavior, emphasizing the need for open and honest family communication.
All four suspects are currently in custody and have confessed to the crime. The police confirmed that they will face prosecution once the investigation is complete.
The command also encouraged residents to promptly report any suspicious activity to authorities.
