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.
