THE Niger State Police Command has arrested nine suspects for staging a fake kidnapping and attempting to extort ₦7 million in ransom.
Police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, said in a statement today that the suspects were linked to a Ponzi scheme and plotted the self-kidnap to swindle their associates.
According to him, a report was filed on September 2, 2025, about a supposed abduction in the Mandela area of Minna, followed by a ransom demand.
Investigations led to the arrest of one Suleiman Dauda the next day, and eight others were later picked up.
A search uncovered 21 SIM cards and 29 SIM registration certificates from Suleiman, who confessed that he supplied the handset and phone number used to issue the ransom demand.
Further investigations revealed that one of the conspirators colluded with the supposed victim to deceive their colleagues.
Abiodun confirmed that the suspects have been charged to court, while efforts are ongoing to track down other accomplices.
Police noted that cases of staged abductions for ransom are becoming a disturbing trend in Nigeria.
Just last month, a woman and her husband in Ondo State were arrested for faking her kidnap and demanding ₦10 million from relatives abroad to settle debts.