Police in Lagos nab five teenagers over staged kidnapping, N1.7m extortion

What began as a viral video of a schoolboy pleading for his life in a purported kidnappers’ den has been exposed as a calculated fraud.

The Lagos State Police Command on Thursday arrested five suspects who allegedly staged the abduction to extort millions from a family member.

The breakthrough came after a discreet, intelligence-led investigation by the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad. Detectives apprehended the group between December 17 and 18 at the Volkswagen Roundabout and the Ago Palace area.

Confirming the development in a statement on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, revealed that the “victim,” 15-year-old Victor Aligwo, orchestrated the scheme alongside four friends: Kosiko Patrick (17), David Odudu (19), Anyabike Kingsley (20), and Umeh Victor (19).

The group reportedly used Umeh Victor’s room as the “den” to film the distress video. Investigation revealed the motive was to target Aligwo’s mother, who had recently received a ₦4 million contribution. By circulating the video to create panic, the teenagers successfully coerced the family into paying a ₦1.7 million ransom, which was transferred to one of the suspects’ accounts and shared among the group.

Reacting to the discovery, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, issued a stern warning to those attempting to disrupt the peace of the state.

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“The Command will not relent in ensuring the safety of lives and property. All criminal elements are hereby warned to desist from any form of crime and curtailed any form of criminal activities within the state,” Jimoh stated.

Seeking to calm public anxiety following the initial viral footage, the Commissioner clarified that the threat was manufactured internally.

“This incident was not a case of kidnapping, and there is no cause for panic. Members of the public are encouraged to continue their lawful activities and promptly report any suspicious acts or movements to the Police through the Command’s emergency numbers: 0706 101 9374, 0806 515 4338, 0806 329 9264, 0803 934 4870,” he reassured.

The suspects were tracked down through the Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal used for the transaction. Police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and the five suspects will be charged in a court of competent jurisdiction for prosecution.

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