Lagos State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with a fake and stage-managed kidnapping involving a viral video of a schoolboy pleading for mercy in what was portrayed as a kidnappers’ den.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad on Thursday, December 18, 2025, following intelligence-led investigations into the incident, which had earlier generated widespread public concern.
According to the police, the case was initially reported as a missing person at the Ago Palace Police Division on November 26, 2025. However, further investigation revealed that the alleged kidnapping was deliberately orchestrated by the supposed victim, Victor Aligwo, in collaboration with four of his friends.
Police investigations established that the suspects used the room of one of their accomplices, Umeh Victor, to stage the fake kidnapping and record a distress video showing Victor Aligwo pleading for help.
The suspects, who were arrested between December 17 and 18, 2025, at Volkswagen Roundabout and the Ago Palace area, were identified as Kosiko Patrick (17), Victor Aligwo (15), David Odudu (19), Anyabike Kingsley (20), and Umeh Victor (19).
Further findings revealed that the group conspired to extort money from the victim’s mother, who had recently received ₦4 million from a contribution. To make the plot appear genuine, the suspects circulated the distress video to create fear and panic, demanding ransom for the boy’s release.
Police said a ransom of ₦1.7 million was paid by the victim’s mother and transferred to the account of one of the suspects. The money was subsequently shared among them.
The suspects were apprehended after police traced the Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal used in processing the ransom transaction.
Confirming the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, warned criminal elements to desist from all forms of crime, assuring residents that the Command remains committed to safeguarding lives and property across the state.
The police clarified that the incident was not a case of kidnapping and urged residents not to panic. Members of the public were encouraged to continue their lawful activities and report suspicious movements through the Command’s emergency lines: 0706 101 9374, 0806 515 4338, 0806 329 9264, and 0803 934 4870.
The suspects remain in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.