Ondo Pastor and Wife Arrested for Faking Kidnapping to Extort N10m from Relatives Abroad

Pastor Sanmori Olubumi Joshua, 62 and wife, Mrs. Sanmori Taiwo, 42

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a couple, 42-year-old Mrs. Sanmori Taiwo and her 62-year-old husband, Pastor Sanmori Olubumi Joshua, for allegedly staging her kidnapping in a plot to extort N10 million from her relatives living abroad.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, said the incident occurred on August 23 at the couple’s residence on Road 5, PowerLine, Ondo City. According to police investigations, Taiwo conspired with her husband by hiding in a separate room, while her husband used her phone to contact her relatives, claiming she had been abducted by armed men demanding a ransom of N10 million.

One of her relatives, identified as Mr. Fasegha O. Joseph, grew suspicious of the claims and petitioned the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal. The case was assigned to the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS), which, working alongside officers from Enu-owa Division in Ondo City, stormed the couple’s residence where Taiwo was discovered.

On being found, Taiwo initially claimed she had just been released by kidnappers after N5 million had been paid as ransom. However, under interrogation, she confessed to fabricating the abduction, admitting that she and her husband planned the scheme to collect money from her relatives abroad. She further revealed that her motive was to settle debts and meet personal financial needs.

DSP Ayanlade confirmed that both suspects remain in custody and will face prosecution. He emphasized the command’s determination to deal decisively with all forms of criminality, including staged crimes. “We will diligently unravel all forms of criminality, whether real or staged, to preserve peace, protect lives, and safeguard the integrity of communities within the state,” he stated.