The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old housewife, Misturah Bada, and her accomplice, Adedamola Daniel, for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and extorting ₦2.5 million from her husband, who resides in South Africa.
Police said the suspects were arrested by operatives of the Command Special Squad following investigations that uncovered a carefully orchestrated plot involving false kidnapping claims, conspiracy and extortion.
According to the police, the case was reported on November 24, 2025, when the victim’s husband contacted the Command through an emergency line, alleging that his wife had been kidnapped by armed men.
The supposed abductors initially demanded ₦10 million as ransom, later reducing it to ₦3 million. A sum of ₦2.5 million was eventually paid, but the alleged kidnappers failed to release the victim, raising suspicion.
Following the distress call, police deployed both human and technical resources to trace the alleged kidnappers.
Mrs. Bada was subsequently “rescued” and reunited with her family. During initial debriefing, she claimed she had been abducted by six armed men in a silver Toyota Venza, taken to a hideout and dispossessed of her iPhone 12 Pro Max.
She further stated that the ransom paid by her husband was first transferred into her bank account before being handed over to the kidnappers.
However, investigators said her account began to unravel due to glaring inconsistencies. On December 3, 2025, police arrested Adedamola Daniel in Ede, Osun State, recovering a SIM card used to register the WhatsApp account through which ransom negotiations were conducted.
During interrogation, Daniel reportedly confessed that Mrs. Bada had requested the use of his SIM card to create the WhatsApp account and that he supplied the one-time password (OTP) that enabled her to operate it.
Confronted with the evidence, Mrs. Bada allegedly admitted to faking her own kidnapping in order to extort money from her husband.
Further investigation led to the recovery of the missing iPhone, which she had claimed was with the kidnappers. The phone was recovered from Yusuf Sodiq, who told police he bought it from her for ₦380,000 after being warned not to insert any SIM card into it.
The Command said investigations are ongoing and that Mrs. Bada and her accomplice will be charged to court upon conclusion of the probe.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, warned members of the public against false reporting and criminal deception, noting that such acts divert critical security resources.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities through the police emergency lines.
