Police rescue expatriate after staged abduction in Ogun
Police rescue expatriate after staged abduction in Ogun
Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force have rescued a 38-year-old Ivorian, Kacou Alleby, in Ogun State after he was initially reported kidnapped, only for it to be discovered that the abduction was staged.
In a statement on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the operation followed a distress request from the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abuja on behalf of authorities in Côte d’Ivoire.
Alleby was reported missing on September 12, 2025, with his family receiving torture videos and voice notes demanding ransom. However, operatives later traced the suspects to Matogun, Ogun State, where a 28-year-old female Ivorian, identified as Angela Arisa, was arrested.
The statement read, “The Nigeria Police Force, through the Intelligence Response Team, has successfully rescued one Kacou Alleby, male, aged 38, an Ivorian national, following a distress request received from the INTERPOL National Central Bureau, Abuja, on behalf of authorities in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The victim was reportedly kidnapped and held hostage on 12th September, 2025.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode
Egbetokun, immediately issued directives to the IRT operatives, who then promptly launched a coordinated operation to rescue the foreign national. After intelligence gathering, the location of the suspects was found in the Matogun area of Ogun State. In the swift operation, one Angela Arisa, female, aged 28, also an Ivorian national, was arrested.”
It stated that the suspect later led detectives to a hideout at an estate in the Olambe area of the state, where Alleby was rescued unhurt.
According to the police spokesperson, investigations revealed that the victim and the female suspect had conspired to stage the kidnapping in order to extort money from his family in Abidjan. They were said to have jointly produced fake torture videos to pressure his relatives, while efforts are ongoing to track down other accomplices connected to the crime.
“The Nigeria Police Force strongly condemns such criminal conduct and reiterates that self-kidnap is a serious offence under Nigerian law. The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, warns that perpetrators will face the full weight of the law, as such acts not only undermine national security but also attempt to tarnish the country’s image,” the statement read.
Self-orchestrated kidnappings have been on the rise in parts of Nigeria, with security experts cautioning that the trend wastes police resources and erodes public confidence in handling genuine abduction cases.
In a recent case, the Ondo State Police Command arrested 29-year-old Bello Azeez for allegedly faking his own kidnapping to extort money from his family and associates. According to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, Azeez, a native of Ipele in Owo Local Government Area, devised the scheme after his father refused to lend him ₦500,000 to repay a debt.
