By Solomon Makinde
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has apprehended four individuals, including two sisters, for allegedly staging a false kidnapping in a scheme to extort ₦5 million from their own father.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the incident occurred in the Jikwoyi area of Abuja and involved a carefully coordinated plan to deceive the family patriarch into paying a ransom.
SP Adeh revealed that the younger of the two sisters, aged 16, had left home on July 18 to sit for an examination at Government Secondary School, Karu, but failed to return. Her father, Mr. Innocent, filed a report at the Jikwoyi Divisional Headquarters on July 30 after receiving a distressing phone call demanding ransom for his daughter’s supposed release.
“Following the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer of Jikwoyi immediately launched a discreet investigation,” Adeh explained.
Through digital tracking and intelligence gathering, the phone number used by the alleged kidnappers was traced to a location in Jikwoyi Phase II, where police operatives discovered the “victim” safe and in the company of two other suspects — casually eating and chatting, showing no signs of duress.
Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the girl’s elder sister and her boyfriend, who is reportedly married to another woman. The police say it was uncovered that the elder sibling had masterminded the plan with her partner, enlisting her younger sister’s cooperation to carry out the hoax.
“The younger girl was not only aware of the plan but willingly stayed with the group during the staged abduction,” Adeh said. “Meanwhile, her elder sister remained at home, pretending to be unaware, while their parents suffered emotional trauma trying to raise the ransom.”
All four suspects are currently in police custody and have confessed to their involvement in the conspiracy, according to the police statement.
SP Adeh further noted that once investigations are complete, the suspects will be charged in court.
Commenting on the case, FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, expressed deep concern over what he described as a betrayal of family trust and manipulation for personal gain.
He urged parents and guardians to monitor their children’s emotional wellbeing, emphasising the importance of fostering open communication and moral guidance within families.