Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Lagos, Nigeria — The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 26‑year‑old housewife and a male accomplice for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and extorting ₦2.5 million from her husband, who is based in South Africa. The case, uncovered after police investigations exposed inconsistencies in the original report, highlights rising concerns over staged crimes that divert law enforcement resources and exploit family ties for financial gain.
According to the police spokesperson, Superintendent Abimbola Adebisi, operatives of the Command Special Squad apprehended Misturah Bada and her alleged accomplice, Adedamola Daniel, 30, following a detailed probe into a reported kidnapping that later proved to be a fabricated abduction for ransom.
The incident came to light on November 24, 2025, when Bada’s husband, through legal representatives, contacted the Lagos police emergency line to report that his wife had been abducted by armed men who demanded a ₦10 million ransom, later reduced to ₦3 million amid ransom negotiations. A total of ₦2.5 million was paid into what was believed to be the kidnappers’ account, after which Bada was eventually “released” and reunited with her family — a development that prompted further police scrutiny due to suspicious circumstances surrounding the payment and her return.
Upon being reunited with her family, Bada recounted to detectives that she had been seized by six armed men driving a silver Toyota Venza and taken to a hideout, where her iPhone 12 Pro Max was seized — a claim that initially lent credibility to the reported abduction. However, investigators quickly found contradictions in her narrative, triggering deeper inquiry by the Special Squad.
Police investigations intensified when officers arrested Daniel in Ede, Osun State on December 3, 2025, recovering a SIM card used to register the WhatsApp account through which the ransom negotiations were conducted. During interrogation, Daniel reportedly confessed that Bada had requested his SIM card and the one‑time password (OTP) needed to activate the WhatsApp account, which she then used to pose as kidnappers during extortion communications.
Faced with mounting evidence, Bada admitted staging her own kidnapping for the purpose of extorting money from her husband, police said. Further findings led investigators to recover the iPhone she claimed had been taken by the alleged abductors; the device was traced to a 34‑year‑old man, Yusuf Sodiq, who told authorities he purchased it from Bada for ₦380,000, and was instructed to avoid inserting a SIM card into the phone — a detail that further exposed the fabrication.
The Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, CP Olohundare Jimoh, condemned the act, warning residents against filing false reports and engaging in criminal deception that unnecessarily diverts critical police resources away from genuine emergencies and undermines public safety. He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging citizens to remain law‑abiding and report suspicious actions through official police emergency lines.
Authorities have stated that the investigation is ongoing and that the suspects will be formally charged in court once the police conclude their probe, an action that reflects a broader police effort to deter similar staged kidnappings and financial extortion schemes.
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