The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested two sisters and a couple for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping plot in Abuja in an attempt to extort ransom money.
According to a statement released by the FCT police, the suspects—including two women posing as sisters, and a man and woman posing as a couple—colluded to orchestrate a false abduction scenario. They reportedly demanded a ransom sum from the victim’s family, falsely claiming that the supposed victim had been abducted, and held hostage. Only after police intervention was the plot uncovered, and the individuals arrested.
This incident reflects a growing trend of self‑kidnapping or staged abductions in Nigeria. In recent years, similar cases have been recorded in different parts of the country:
In January 2025, a young woman in Asaba and her boyfriend were arrested for faking her own kidnapping. They demanded N2 million ransom from her parents and confessed to the scheme when apprehended, leading to the recovery of the ransom and their arrest.
In Abuja in March 2024, a pregnant woman staged her own kidnapping and demanded N2 million from her husband.
She later admitted to collaborating with a man she identified as her boyfriend to extort the money. Police recovered over N793,500 in cash, two ATM cards, and mobile phones during the arrest.
Police have officially warned members of the public to be vigilant about the rising pattern of false kidnapping claims, which they say is a punishable offense under Nigerian law. They also called on media and digital content creators to verify kidnapping reports before dissemination to prevent unnecessary panic and misuse of security resources.
The suspects in the current Abuja case are in custody awaiting investigation and legal proceedings.
Authorities reiterated their commitment to investigating all aspects of the case thoroughly, while urging the public to always verify and report legitimate abduction incidents through proper channels.
