Lagos Woman Arrested for Faking Kidnap to Extort N2.5 Million from Husband

By The Telescope Team

In a shocking case of deception, a 26-year-old Lagos woman named Misturah has been arrested for allegedly faking her own kidnapping and extorting N2.5 million from her husband. The incident, which came to light after a police investigation, highlights a disturbing trend of self-orchestrated abductions in the city.

The saga began on November 24 when a lawyer reported to the Lagos State Police Command that his brother’s wife had been kidnapped by armed men demanding a ransom. The kidnappers initially demanded N10 million, later lowering their demand to N3 million during negotiations. Eventually, N2.5 million was paid.

However, police detectives grew suspicious as details unfolded. Misturah claimed six armed men in a silver Toyota Venza had abducted her and seized her iPhone 12 Pro Max, releasing her only after the ransom payment. But further investigation uncovered inconsistencies.

Authorities arrested a 30-year-old man, Daniel, who revealed that Misturah had used his SIM card to register a WhatsApp account through which the ransom negotiations were conducted. Daniel explained that Misturah had requested the SIM card to resolve personal issues, later deactivating the account.

Under police questioning, Misturah confessed to staging the kidnapping to extort money from her husband, Ridwan, who lives in South Africa. The supposedly seized iPhone was recovered from a third party to whom she had sold it for N380,000.

Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the ongoing investigation and promised appropriate charges once completed.

This case follows earlier reports of similar self-kidnapping schemes, underscoring the challenges faced by law enforcement in distinguishing genuine abduction cases from elaborate scams.

Acknowledgment: This report is adapted from PUNCH Metro.