The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 29-year-old man, Bello Azeez, for allegedly faking his own kidnapping in a bid to extort ₦500,000 from his parents and friends.
According to police sources, Azeez, a native of Ipele in Owo Local Government Area, initially asked his father for financial help to offset a debt. When his request was turned down, he reportedly staged a false abduction to pressure relatives into raising the money.
On August 11, 2025, he pretended to be travelling to Ibadan and thereafter began making distress calls to his parents and friends, claiming he had been kidnapped.
Concerned relatives launched a GoFundMe campaign and, along with family contributions, successfully raised ₦500,000.
Shockingly, Azeez directed that the money be paid directly into his personal bank account — a move that sparked suspicion.
His relatives alerted the police, who traced his phone and discovered he had remained in Owo throughout the period of his supposed captivity. He was subsequently arrested and confessed to the crime.
Police spokesperson DSP Ayanlade Olayinka Olushola, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling all forms of criminality, urging parents to caution their children against greed, deceit, and fraudulent practices.
Date: 16th August, 2025
PRESS RELEASE*
ARREST OF A MAN WHO STAGED HIS OWN KIDNAPPING TO DEFRAUD FAMILY AND FRIENDS
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested one Bello Azeez ‘m’, aged 29, a native of Ipele in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, for allegedly staging his own kidnapping with the intent to extort money from his parents and acquaintances.
Investigation revealed that the suspect had earlier requested the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (₦500,000) from his father to repay a debt.
When his request was turned down, he conceived the idea of faking his own abduction as a means of obtaining the money. To perfect his plan, on 11th August, 2025, he falsely claimed to be travelling to Ibadan, after which he began placing distress calls to his parents and friends, alleging that he had been kidnapped.
In a bid to secure his release, his parents together with his friends mobilized resources and created a GoFundMe account, through which they successfully raised the sum of ₦500,000.
The suspect then instructed that the Five Hundred Thousand Naira, which his supposed abductors allegedly demanded and which had been raised through family contributions and the GoFundMe account, be transferred directly into his personal bank account — a directive that was complied with by his unsuspecting relatives and associates who believed he was in genuine distress.
Suspicion, however, began to mount when it became unusual that a supposed kidnapping victim would request that ransom be paid directly into his own bank account. This prompted his family to alert the Police. Upon receiving the report, operatives of the Command immediately tracked the phone number used by the suspect and discovered that he had been in Owo throughout the period of the alleged abduction. He was thereafter arrested, confessed to the crime, and will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.
This case once again underscores the dangers of greed, deceit, and the lure of quick wealth, which often push individuals into acts capable of ruining their future.
The Command therefore admonishes parents and guardians to properly guide and educate their children and wards against crime, peer influence, and moral decadence.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has consistently emphasized the vision of building a professionally competent, service-driven, rule-of-law compliant, and people-friendly Police Force that Nigerians can trust and depend upon. In line with this, the mission of the Nigeria Police Force remains to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, uphold justice, and prevent crime through intelligence-led policing and strong partnership with communities.
The Ondo State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Adebowale Lawal, PSC+, MNIPS, aligns fully with the IGP’s mission and vision, and reassures the good people of Ondo State that criminality in any form will not be tolerated. The public is urged to shun all forms of deception and fraudulent practices and to continue supporting the Police in promoting peace, security, and collective progress in our society.
E- Signed
DSP AYANLADE OLAYINKA OLUSHOLA
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)
Ondo State Police Command
For: – Commissioner of Police, Ondo State
