The Lagos State Police Command, the law enforcement agency responsible for security in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial and most populous state, has arrested five individuals over a deliberately staged kidnapping involving a teenage schoolboy.
The arrests followed an investigation into a viral video that showed the boy pleading for help from what was portrayed as a kidnappers’ hideout, a footage that triggered fear and public outrage across Lagos and beyond. The suspects were taken into custody on Wednesday, December 17, and Thursday, December 18, 2025, after police uncovered inconsistencies surrounding the alleged abduction.
Providing details in a statement issued on Friday, December 19, 2025, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Abimbola Adebisi, explained that the case was initially reported as a missing person incident at the Ago Palace Police Division, a police formation located in Lagos, Nigeria, on Tuesday, November 26, 2025.
According to her, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident, which initially generated widespread public concern, was first reported as a missing person case at Ago Palace Division on November 26, 2025.”
She disclosed that further investigation later uncovered that the supposed kidnapping was not genuine. “Subsequent investigation established that the alleged kidnapping was deliberately orchestrated by the victim himself, Victor Aligwo, in collaboration with four friends, using the room of one of the suspects, Umeh Victor, to carry out the act,” Adebisi said.
Okay News reports that the suspects involved in the incident were identified as Kosiko Patrick, aged 17; Victor Aligwo, aged 15; David Odudu, aged 19; Anyabike Kingsley, aged 20; and Umeh Victor, aged 19. Police confirmed that the suspects were apprehended in separate locations around Volkswagen Roundabout and the Ago Palace area of Lagos State.
Investigators revealed that the group carefully planned the act with the sole aim of extorting money from Aligwo’s mother, who had recently received ₦4 million from a financial contribution. To make the plot convincing, the suspects allegedly recorded and circulated a distress video showing the teenager begging for mercy, thereby creating panic and emotional pressure on his family.
Adebisi stated, “To make the fake kidnapping appear real, the suspects recorded and circulated a distress video showing Victor Aligwo pleading for help, creating fear and panic to compel his family to pay ransom.”
She added that a total sum of ₦1.7 million was eventually paid by the victim’s mother and transferred into one of the suspects’ bank accounts, after which the money was shared among the group.
Police investigations further revealed that law enforcement officers traced the Point of Sale terminal used in receiving the ransom, a development that ultimately led to the arrest of all the suspects involved.
Adebisi confirmed that investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be charged to court once inquiries are concluded.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Olohundare Jimoh, warned criminal elements to desist from engaging in crime, assuring residents of Lagos, Nigeria, that the police command remains committed to protecting lives and property.
The Lagos State Police Command also reassured the public that the incident was not a genuine kidnapping and urged residents to remain calm, continue their lawful activities, and promptly report any suspicious movement to security agencies.
