The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 33-year-old man, Olawale Sikiru, and one of his accomplices for orchestrating his own kidnap.
Tripod Times reports that the incident took place in Akure, where the suspect deliberately staged the abduction and succeeded in collecting ₦50,000 as part of the ₦1,000,000 demanded from his own family for his purported release.
The brief was made available to newsmen by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abayomi Jimoh.
The PPRO said: “On 5th July, 2026, one Mrs. Iyabo of Oda Road, Akure, reported to the Police that her 33-year-old son, Olawale Sikiru, of St. Luke Street, Akure, had allegedly been kidnapped while travelling to Igbara-Oke for work by unknown persons.
“Following the report, the command immediately commenced a coordinated investigation, deploying intelligence assets and conducting forensic analysis of the telephone number used by the suspects to demand a ransom of ₦1,000,000 from the victim’s family.
“The painstaking investigation yielded positive results on 7th July, 2026, when detectives arrested Olawale Sikiru, who was discovered to have orchestrated his own kidnapping.
“Investigations revealed that he deliberately staged the abduction and succeeded in collecting ₦50,000 as part of the ransom paid by his family for his purported release.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of one Agbelusi Ayomide, a 23-year-old man who allegedly conspired with the suspect and harboured him in his residence while the fraudulent kidnapping plot was being executed.
“Efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate believed to have participated in the criminal act, while the arrested suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation,” he added.
The State Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, commended the professionalism and diligence of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, whose intelligence-driven investigation exposed the deception.
He advised members of the public to refrain from engaging in or aiding staged kidnappings or any form of criminal conspiracy, stressing that such acts divert critical security resources, inflict emotional and financial hardship on families, and attract severe legal repercussions.
