Ondo Police Arrest Pastor and Wife Over Staged Kidnap to Extort ₦10 Million

Police detectives in Ondo state have arrested a couple in Ondo town for allegedly faking a kidnapping to extort ₦10 million from relatives living abroad.

The suspects, Pastor Sanmori Olubumi Joshua, 62 year old, and his wife, Mrs Sanmori Taiwo, 42 year old, reside on Road 5, Power Line, Ondo town. According to police sources, the incident occurred on August 23, 2025, between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm.

Investigators said Mrs Taiwo isolated herself in a separate room while her husband called relatives using her phone, claiming unknown gunmen had abducted her and were demanding ₦10 million in ransom. A relative, Mr Fasegha O. Joseph, petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, who directed the Special Anti Kidnapping Squad, supported by Enu Owa Division, to act.

Officers traced the alleged victim to the couple’s residence, where she claimed she had just been released after a supposed ₦5 million payment. However, police spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka said she later confessed the abduction was staged as a self kidnapping scheme to extort money from relatives abroad, citing debts and personal needs.

Both suspects are under investigation, and police say appropriate legal action will follow. The command warned it will not tolerate criminality, whether genuine or staged, and urged residents to continue providing credible information, assuring confidentiality.