David Oladimeji
The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered and dismantled a vicious, stage-managed kidnapping syndicate responsible for a viral video that sparked widespread panic across the state, leading to the arrest of five suspects linked to the criminal plot.
Smart detectives and operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad swung into action following the circulation of a disturbing video showing a schoolboy pleading for mercy from supposed kidnappers. The arrest was carried out on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at about 1:00 p.m., after painstaking intelligence-led investigations.
Police findings revealed that what initially appeared to be a real kidnapping was, in fact, a carefully orchestrated scam designed to extort money from an unsuspecting parent. The case was first reported on November 26, 2025, at the Ago Palace Police Division as a missing person incident.
As investigations deepened, detectives uncovered that the alleged victim, Victor Aligwo, had conspired with four friends to fake his own abduction. The suspects reportedly used the room of one of the accomplices to simulate a kidnappers’ den and record the viral distress footage.
The suspects were eventually tracked and arrested between December 17 and 18, 2025, at Volkswagen Roundabout and within the Ago Palace axis of Lagos. All five are currently in police custody.
Those arrested include Kosiko Patrick (17), Victor Aligwo (15), David Odudu (19), Anyabike Kingsley (20), and Umeh Victor (19), all males. Their arrest marked the collapse of the fraudulent scheme that had generated fear within the community and beyond.
Further investigations revealed that the group planned the fake kidnapping after learning that Victor Aligwo’s mother had recently received ₦4 million from a financial contribution. The suspects allegedly saw this as an opportunity to extort a large sum from her.
To make the plot believable, the suspects recorded and circulated a distress video showing Victor pleading for help, thereby applying emotional pressure on his mother and family to quickly pay ransom.
Succumbing to fear for her son’s safety, the victim’s mother reportedly paid a ransom of ₦1.7 million. The money was transferred through a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal and later shared among the suspects.
The breakthrough came when police operatives traced the POS terminal used for the transaction, a move that directly led to the arrest of all those involved in the criminal act.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, strongly condemned the act, warning criminal elements to desist from all forms of crime, stressing that the Command remains resolute in safeguarding lives and property across the state.
He further assured Lagos residents that the incident was not a genuine kidnapping case and urged the public to remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding.
The Police Command reiterated its commitment to public safety and encouraged residents to promptly report suspicious activities through its emergency lines: 0706 101 9374, 0806 515 4338, 0806 329 9264, and 0803 934 4870.
Investigations are ongoing, and all suspects will be charged before a court of competent jurisdiction for prosecution, as the Lagos State Police Command continues its zero-tolerance stance against crime.
