Police arrest 5 over fake kidnap of schoolboy in Lagos

By Christopher Oji

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five suspects for allegedly faking the kidnap of a schoolboy.

The suspects in a viral video on social media had stage-managed the kidnap of one of them with the intention of extorting money from the family of the fake kidnapped victim.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abimbola Adebisi, said that detectives and intelligent operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, on Thursday arrested the five suspects.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident, which initially generated widespread public concern, was first reported as a case of a missing person at Ago Palace Division on November 26, 2025. Subsequent to the investigation, it was established that the alleged kidnap was deliberately orchestrated by the victim himself, one Victor Aligwo ‘m’, in collaboration with four of his friends, using the room of his cohorts, Umeh Victor, to carry out the fake kidnapping act.

“ Following diligent, intelligence-led, and discreet investigation, the suspects were apprehended on December, 17 and 18, 2025, at Volkswagen Roundabout and the Ago Palace area, respectively. The suspects who faked the kidnapping incident were arrested and are now in police custody.

“They are Kosiko Patrick, 17; Victor Aligwo, 15; David Odudu, 19; Anyabike Kingsley, 20 and Umeh Victor, 19.

“Further investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly conspired to stage the fake kidnapping with the intent of extorting money from the mother of the suspected victim, Victor Aligwo, who had recently received the sum of ₦4,000,000 from a contribution.

“To actualise and make the fake kidnapping real, the suspects recorded and circulated a distress video showing Victor Aligwo pleading for help, thereby, creating fear and panic in the mind of his mother and his family to pay ransom to the alleged kidnappers.

“ A ransom of ₦1.7 million was paid and later transferred to the account of one of the fake kidnappers by the mother to get him freed. The money was later shared amongst them. Following the payment. Police operatives traced the Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal used for the ransom transaction, leading to the arrest of all the suspects involved. Investigation into the matter is ongoing, and all the suspects will be charged before a court of competent jurisdiction for their prosecution.”