The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a couple, 42-year-old Mrs. Sanmori Taiwo and her 62-year-old husband, Pastor Sanmori Olubumi Joshua, for allegedly faking her kidnapping in order to extort N10 million from her relatives abroad.

In a statement released Wednesday in Akure, the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, said the incident happened on August 23 at the couple’s home on Road 5, PowerLine, Ondo City. According to Ayanlade, Taiwo hid in a separate room after conspiring with her husband to stage the abduction.

Her husband then called her relatives using her phone, claiming she had been kidnapped by armed men who were demanding N10 million ransom. “Suspicious of the claims, one of the relatives, Mr. Fasegha O. Joseph, petitioned the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, who directed the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS) to take up the case,” Ayanlade said.

The squad, supported by officers from Enu-owa Division in Ondo City, moved to the couple’s residence where Taiwo was found. She initially claimed she had just been released by kidnappers after a ransom of N5 million was allegedly paid.

However, upon interrogation, Taiwo confessed that the kidnapping was staged, admitting she planned the scheme with her husband to extract money from her relatives abroad. She further explained that her motive was to pay off debts and cater to her personal needs.

Ayanlade confirmed that the couple remains in police custody and will face legal action. He stressed that the case reflects the command’s resolve to tackle all forms of crime. “We will diligently unravel all forms of criminality, whether real or staged, to preserve peace, protect lives, and safeguard the integrity of communities within the state,” he added.