The Niger State Police Command has arrested nine suspects over a staged self-kidnap and a fraudulent demand for a ₦7 million ransom.
The command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying the suspects were part of a Ponzi scheme.
Abiodun explained, “On September 2, 2025, at about 10 pm, a report was received at Tudun-Wada Division of a suspected kidnapping around the Mandela area of Minna, alongside a call from an unknown phone number demanding a ransom of seven million naira.”
He said the police arrested one suspect, Suleiman Dauda, the following day. His interrogation 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 engaged in SIM card registration. He admitted that the phone number and handset used to request the ransom were provided to the victim by him,” Abiodun added.
Police investigations showed the suspects came from different parts of Niger and other states, and were operating a fraudulent Ponzi scheme. One of them allegedly worked with the supposed victim to extort ransom from their associates.
Abiodun noted that the investigation was still ongoing to track down other accomplices, while those arrested had been charged to court.
Cases of self-kidnap for ransom have become more common in Nigeria, with suspects often targeting relatives or associates to extort money.
In August, a similar case was reported in Ondo State where a 42-year-old woman and her husband staged her abduction and demanded ₦10 million from relatives abroad. The police later arrested them after suspicions were raised, revealing that the woman plotted the scheme to pay off debts and settle personal needs.
