Lagos couple arrested for faking kidnapping, collecting N10 Million ransom

A couple in Lagos, identified as Fred and Goodness, have been taken into custody after allegedly staging their own kidnapping to extort N10 million from family and friends.

Sources indicate the pair orchestrated the fake abduction on January 7. The scheme was reportedly devised to raise money for the husband, Fred, who was seeking funds to return to the United States but lacked financial support.

A police insider revealed that the couple contacted relatives from both sides of their families, falsely claiming they had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom. Within three days, their concerned families managed to gather N10 million, believing it was necessary to secure their release.

“The couple faked their kidnapping, calling on friends and families for contributions towards the ransom payment,” the source explained. “According to them, the husband wanted to travel back to the US and needed money, but their sponsors were not forthcoming. They planned it together, thinking it would be a way to raise the funds.”

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Another police source detailed the circumstances of their arrest. The couple had designated a school in the Cappa area of Mushin as the drop-off point for the ransom money.

“Operatives monitoring the area noticed the woman entering the premises alone, while the man arrived separately moments later,” the source stated. “However, suspicion was raised when both suspects later emerged together carrying a bag.”

Police officers stopped the pair and discovered the ransom money inside the bag, leading to their immediate arrest. During questioning, the wife, Goodness, reportedly admitted to encouraging her husband to go through with the plot.

The suspects were handed over to the police, and further investigation confirmed the incident was a case of self-kidnapping.

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State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Addebisi, confirmed the incident and stated, “The couple will be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.”

This case is the latest in a series of self-orchestrated abductions uncovered by law enforcement. In a similar incident reported in December 2023, a 26-year-old woman named Misturah was arrested for faking her own kidnapping to extort N2.5 million from her husband.