By our Reporter
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 33-year-old man, Olawale Sikiru, for allegedly staging his own kidnapping in a bid to extort money from his family.
The command also arrested one of his alleged accomplices, Agbelusi Ayomide, 23, who reportedly harboured the suspect while the fake abduction was being executed.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the incident was reported on July 5, 2026, by Mrs. Iyabo of Oda Road, Akure, who informed the police that her son, Olawale Sikiru of St. Luke Street, Akure, had allegedly been kidnapped while travelling to Igbara-Oke for work.
Following the report, the police launched a coordinated investigation, deploying intelligence assets and carrying out forensic analysis of the telephone number used by the suspects to demand a ransom of ₦1 million from the victim’s family.
The investigation led detectives to Sikiru on July 7, when he was discovered to have masterminded his own abduction.
Police said the suspect successfully deceived his family into paying ₦50,000 as part of the ransom before the plot was uncovered.
Further investigations resulted in the arrest of Ayomide, who allegedly conspired with Sikiru and sheltered him at his residence while the staged kidnapping was ongoing.
The command disclosed that efforts were underway to apprehend other members of the syndicate believed to have participated in the criminal act, adding that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Felix Ohagwu, commended operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for their professionalism and intelligence-led investigation, which exposed the fraudulent scheme.
He warned members of the public against staging kidnappings or participating in any criminal conspiracy for financial gain, stressing that such acts divert critical security resources, inflict emotional and financial hardship on victims’ families, and attract severe legal consequences.
The police commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling all forms of criminality through intelligence-driven policing and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support efforts aimed at protecting lives and property across Ondo State.
