One Pastor Sanmori Joshua, and his wife, Mrs Sanmori Taiwo, have been arrested for faking the latter’s kidnap in order to extort N10m from relatives abroad.
Pastor Sanmori is 62-year-old while the wife is 42-year-old.
Both were arrested by the Ondo State Police Command after it emerged that their claim that Mrs Sanmori was abducted is patently false.
On August 23 at their residence on Road 5, PowerLine, Ondo City, Mrs Sanmori hid in a room and they both created the impression that she was abducted and requested for support in ransom from relatives.
“Suspicious of the claims, one of the relatives, Mr Fasegha O. Joseph, through a written petition, reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, who directed the Command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS),” Ondo State Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, said in a statement he issued.
Ayanlade reported that operatives, backed by Enu-owa Division in Ondo City, stormed the couple’s residence where the woman was found.
“She falsely claimed to have just been released by kidnappers after a ransom of Five Million Naira was allegedly paid,” the police spokesman added.
He added that during interrogation, the woman owned up to staging the abduction to raise money.
“Upon further interrogation at the Command, Mrs Taiwo confessed that the abduction was staged as a self-kidnapping scheme, masterminded to extort money from her relatives abroad under the pretense of securing her release. She further admitted that her motive was to settle debts and provide for her personal needs,” he stated.
The police said the couple are in custody and would face charges after investigations.
“We will diligently unravel all forms of criminality, whether real or staged, in order to preserve peace, protect lives, and safeguard the integrity of communities within the state,” Ayanlade added
