Two Sisters, Lover, and Accomplice Arrested in Abuja for Faking Kidnap to Extort ₦5 Million from Their Father
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested four suspects including two sisters for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping plot to extort ₦5 million from their father.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the incident came to light after Mr. Innocent, a resident of Jikwoyi Phase II, reported that his 16-year-old daughter, LeadWay Innocent, had gone missing.
Mr. Innocent told the police that his daughter left home on July 18, 2025, to write an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, Abuja, but never returned.
Days later, he received a call from unknown persons demanding a ransom for her release. Alarmed by the development, he approached the Jikwoyi Police Division, which immediately launched a discreet investigation.
Using digital tracking and intelligence gathering, the police traced the phone number used in the ransom call to a residence in the same Jikwoyi Phase II neighborhood.
Officers stormed the location and discovered the so-called abducted girl, LeadWay, safe and in the company of one Mrs. Tina Mayowa, the wife of Mr. Mayowa Adedeji. Both were reportedly relaxed, eating and chatting freely clear signs that contradicted any claims of duress.
The investigation soon revealed that LeadWay’s disappearance was orchestrated with full knowledge and collaboration. Police subsequently arrested her elder sister, Miss Joy Innocent, and Joy’s boyfriend, Mr. Mayowa Adedeji who is legally married to Tina Mayowa.
The findings pointed to a deliberate conspiracy involving all four individuals to defraud Mr. Innocent by faking LeadWay’s kidnapping.
According to the police statement, Joy remained at home pretending to be unaware of her sister’s whereabouts, even as their father agonized and scrambled to raise the demanded ransom. Meanwhile, LeadWay stayed with the conspirators throughout the supposed abduction.
All four suspects are now in police custody and have voluntarily confessed to the crime. Charges are expected to be filed once investigations are concluded.
FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, condemned the incident in strong terms, calling it a shameful act of betrayal and manipulation within a family unit.
He urged parents to maintain open, honest communication with their children and remain alert to changes in behavior that may indicate deeper emotional issues. CP Adewale also warned that exploiting family relationships for criminal purposes will be met with the full force of the law.
