Police Arrest Pastor, Wife For Allegedly Staging Kidnap To Extort ₦10m

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 42-year-old Mrs. Sanmori Taiwo, and her 62-year-old husband, Pastor Sanmori Joshua for allegedly staging her abduction in a bid to extort ₦10 million from her relatives abroad.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ondo Command, DSP Olushola Ayanlade confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the case occurred on August 23, at the couple’s residence on Road 5, PowerLine in Ondo.

According to him, Taiwo hid in a room while her husband contacted her relatives, claiming unknown gunmen had abducted her.

However, suspicion arose when one of the relatives, Mr. Fasegha Joseph petitioned the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal.

The Commissioner ordered the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS) to investigate the incident .

Operatives, working with officers from the Enu-owa Division, stormed the couple’s home where they found Taiwo.

The suspect initially claimed that her “abductors” had released her after collecting a ₦5 million ransom, but later confessed to orchestrating the fake kidnapping with her husband.

She admitted that the scheme was to extort money from her relatives overseas to settle debts and meet personal needs.

The two suspects who have been arrested and in police custody will be charged upon the conclusion of the investigations.

DSP Ayanlade warned that the Command would continue to clamp down on all forms of criminality, whether genuine or fabricated, to maintain peace and protect communities across the state.