The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a staged kidnapping scheme and arrested five suspects linked to a viral video showing a schoolboy pleading for help in what was presented as a kidnapper’s den.
According to the Lagos State Police Command Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested the suspects on December 17 and 18, 2025, following intelligence-led investigations into the incident, which had earlier caused public concern on social media.
The case was initially reported as a missing person incident at the Ago Palace Police Division on November 26, 2025. However, police investigations later revealed that the alleged victim, Victor Aligwo, conspired with four friends to stage the kidnapping. The fake operation was reportedly carried out in a room belonging to one of the suspects, Umeh Victor.
Those arrested include Kosiko Patrick (17), Victor Aligwo (15), David Odudu (19), Anyabike Kingsley (20), and Umeh Victor (19). They were apprehended at Volkswagen Roundabout and within the Ago Palace area of Lagos.
Police said the suspects allegedly planned the fake kidnapping to extort money from Victor Aligwo’s mother, who had recently received ₦4 million from a contribution. To make the act appear genuine, the suspects recorded and circulated a distress video showing Victor pleading for help, thereby instilling fear and panic in his family.
A ransom of ₦1.7 million was reportedly paid by the victim’s mother and transferred through a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal. Police operatives later traced the transaction, leading to the arrest of all those involved. The ransom money was allegedly shared among the suspects.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh Moshood, warned criminal elements to desist from all forms of crime, assuring residents that the Command remains committed to protecting lives and property across the state.
The police emphasised that the incident was not a genuine kidnapping. They urged residents not to panic but to continue with their lawful activities while promptly reporting suspicious movements through the Command’s emergency lines.
Investigations are ongoing, and the suspects are expected to be charged in court upon conclusion of the inquiry.
