The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old housewife, Misturah Bada, and her alleged accomplice, Adedamola Daniel, 30, for allegedly orchestrating a fake kidnapping and extorting N2.5 million from her husband based in South Africa.
Operatives of the Command Special Squad made the arrests after unraveling what began as a reported abduction but was later discovered to be a fabrication, according to the police.
The case was triggered by a distress call received by the Command on November 24, 2025, around 10:00 p.m., from the woman’s husband, who alleged that his wife had been kidnapped by armed men demanding a N10 million ransom, later reduced to N3 million. Police said N2.5 million was eventually paid, yet the supposed kidnappers failed to release the victim.
Following the report, the Command deployed human and technical intelligence to trace the alleged abductors. Mrs Bada later resurfaced and was reunited with her family.
In her initial account to investigators, she claimed she was abducted by six armed men in a silver Toyota Venza, taken to an undisclosed location and dispossessed of her iPhone 12 Pro Max. She also stated that the ransom was paid into her bank account before being handed over to the kidnappers.
Police, however, said inconsistencies in her story raised red flags, leading to deeper investigation.
On December 3, 2025, operatives arrested Daniel in Ede, Osun State, and recovered from him a SIM card used to register the WhatsApp account through which the ransom negotiations were conducted.
During interrogation, Daniel reportedly confessed that Mrs Bada requested his SIM card to create the WhatsApp account and that he supplied the one-time password sent to his line, enabling her to operate the account.
Confronted with the findings, Mrs Bada allegedly admitted to staging her own abduction to obtain money from her husband.
Further investigation also led to the recovery of the iPhone 12 Pro Max she had earlier claimed was stolen.
The phone was retrieved from a 34-year-old man, Yusuf Sodiq, who told investigators that he bought it from her for N380,000 and was warned not to insert a SIM card into the device.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Olohundare Jimoh, reiterated the Command’s resolve to protect lives and property, warning residents against false reports and deceptive acts capable of diverting critical security resources.
He urged the public to go about their lawful activities and promptly report suspicious movements through the Command’s emergency channels.
Police said investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of the probe.