Lagos Police Nab Couple for Orchestrating Fake Kidnapping Scheme
The Lagos State Police Command has made a significant arrest, detaining a couple identified as Fred and Goodness for their alleged involvement in a fabricated kidnapping plot. The pair are accused of staging their own abduction to extort a substantial ransom of N10 million from their families and close associates.
Elaborate Hoax to Solicit Funds for US Return
According to police sources, the couple meticulously planned the fake kidnapping on January 7, 2026, as a desperate measure to raise money. The husband, Fred, reportedly intended to use the funds to facilitate his return to the United States, citing a lack of financial support from their sponsors. In a bid to generate the necessary capital, they devised a scheme to deceive their relatives into believing they were in grave danger.
The couple contacted members from both sides of their family, falsely claiming they had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom for their safe release. The families, acting out of concern and fear, managed to raise the entire N10 million within a remarkably short period of three days. They were under the impression that the money was crucial for securing the couple's freedom from the supposed kidnappers.
Police Surveillance Leads to Dramatic Arrest
Police operatives, who had been monitoring the situation, provided details on how the arrest unfolded. The couple had arranged for the ransom to be delivered at a specific location within a school in the Cappa area of Mushin, Lagos. During the surveillance operation, officers observed the woman, Goodness, entering the school premises alone. Shortly afterward, the man, Fred, arrived separately at the same location.
Suspicion was immediately aroused when both suspects later emerged together from the school, carrying a bag that appeared to contain the ransom money. The police operatives swiftly intervened, stopping the couple and conducting a search of the bag. Inside, they discovered the N10 million in cash, which directly linked the couple to the extortion plot and led to their immediate arrest.
Confession and Legal Proceedings
During questioning, the wife, Goodness, reportedly admitted to encouraging her husband to participate in the kidnapping scheme. She confessed that the plan was a joint effort to raise the funds needed for Fred's return to the United States. The suspects were subsequently handed over to the police for further investigation, which confirmed that the entire incident was a case of self-kidnapping with no actual abduction having taken place.
Abimbola Addebisi, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, officially confirmed the arrest and the details of the case. She stated that the couple would be charged to court once the ongoing investigations are concluded. This incident highlights the lengths to which individuals might go in their attempts to obtain money through deception, and it underscores the vigilance of law enforcement agencies in Lagos in combating such fraudulent activities.
