Police detectives in Ondo state have arrested a couple in Ondo town, Ondo state, for allegedly staging a fake kidnap to extort N10m from their relatives living abroad.

The suspects include a pastor Sanmori Olubumi Joshua, 62 and wife,  Mrs. Sanmori Taiwo, 42 who reside on Road 5, Power Line, Ondo town.

Police source said that the incident occurred on August 23, 2025, between 4:00pm and 5:00pm.

According to the source,” between the hours of 4:00pm and 5:00pm, Mrs. Taiwo deliberately isolated herself in a separate room in their residence and conspired with her husband to stage her own abduction.

“The husband subsequently placed calls to relatives using her mobile phone number, falsely claiming that she had been kidnapped by unknown gunmen who were demanding ₦10m as ransom.

“Suspicious of the claims, one of the relatives, Mr. Fasegha O. Joseph, through a written petition, reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police  Adebowale Lawal who directed the command Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS).