The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 62-year-old cleric, Pastor Sanmori Olubumi Joshua, and his 42-year-old wife, Mrs. Sanmori Taiwo, over an alleged staged kidnapping in Ondo City.
Police said the couple, residents of Road 5, Power Line, conspired to fake Mrs. Taiwo’s abduction in a bid to extort money from relatives living abroad.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka Olushola, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, the incident was said to have occurred on August 23, 2025.
According to the police, Mrs. Taiwo went into hiding in a room while her husband contacted relatives, claiming she had been kidnapped by gunmen demanding a ransom of ₦10 million.
The plan collapsed after one of the relatives, Mr. Fasegha O. Joseph, reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police, who immediately ordered an investigation.
Operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, in collaboration with Enu-owa Division, later traced Mrs. Taiwo to her home, where she claimed she had been freed following a fictitious ₦5 million ransom payment.
Mrs. Taiwo reportedly confessed that the scheme was intended to raise money to pay debts and meet personal needs.
The police confirmed that both suspects are in custody and will face prosecution after investigations are concluded.