The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five individuals over an alleged staged kidnapping and extortion scheme involving a schoolboy, following investigations into a viral distress video that sparked widespread public concern, Peak Newspaper reports.
The arrests were carried out on December 17 and 18, 2025, after police traced the origin of a video showing a teenage boy pleading for help from what appeared to be a kidnappers’ hideout.
In a statement released on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the case was first reported as a missing person incident at the Ago Palace Police Division on November 26, 2025.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the kidnapping was deliberately staged by the alleged victim, Victor Aligwo, in collaboration with four other suspects.
“The incident, which generated widespread public anxiety, was discovered to have been orchestrated by the victim himself with the support of his friends,” Adebisi said.
Police said the video was recorded in a room belonging to one of the suspects, Umeh Victor, and was designed to simulate a kidnapping situation in order to extort money from the victim’s family.
The suspects were identified as Kosiko Patrick (17), Victor Aligwo (15), David Odudu (19), Anyabike Kingsley (20), and Umeh Victor (19). They were arrested in the Volkswagen Roundabout and Ago Palace areas of Lagos State.
Investigators alleged that the scheme was motivated by financial gain, noting that Aligwo’s mother had recently received ₦4 million from a contribution. To pressure her into paying ransom, the suspects reportedly circulated the distress video.
Police said the victim’s mother paid ₦1.7 million, which was transferred to one of the suspects’ bank accounts and later shared among the group. Tracing the Point-of-Sale transaction reportedly led to the arrest of all five suspects.
The Lagos State Police Command said investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be charged to court once inquiries are concluded.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, warned against engaging in criminal activities and reassured residents of the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property. He also urged the public to remain calm and report suspicious activities through official police channels.
