The Niger State Police Command has arrested nine individuals for allegedly staging a self-kidnap and attempting to extort a ransom of ₦7 million.
The command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, explaining that the suspects were linked to a fraudulent Ponzi scheme and had conspired to deceive their associates.
According to the police, the incident was reported on September 2, 2025, around 10 p.m. at the Tudun-Wada Division, following claims of a kidnapping around the Mandela area of Minna. Shortly after, a phone call was received from an unknown number demanding ₦7 million as ransom.
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Abiodun noted that during investigations, one of the suspects, identified as Suleiman Dauda, was arrested on September 3 in connection with the crime. His confession later led to the arrest of eight others in the Mandela area.
“During a search, 21 SIM cards and 29 SIM card registration certificates were recovered from Suleiman, who claimed to be involved in SIM card registration. He admitted that the phone number and handset used for the ransom call were supplied to the supposed victim by him,” the police spokesperson said.
Further investigations revealed that the suspects were members of a fraudulent Ponzi network. One of their associates allegedly conspired with the supposed victim to defraud colleagues by demanding ransom money under false pretences.
Abiodun confirmed that while investigations are ongoing to track down other accomplices, those arrested have already been charged to court.
Cases of self-kidnapping for ransom have become a recurring trend in Nigeria, with perpetrators often targeting family members or associates to extort money.
According to PUNCH, In a related incident in Ondo State in August 2025, police uncovered a similar scheme involving a 42-year-old woman and her husband who staged her abduction. The couple demanded ₦10 million from relatives abroad, but their plan was foiled after suspicions were raised and security operatives intervened. The woman later confessed to orchestrating the act to pay off debts and cater to personal needs.
