Pastor, wife organize fake kidnap to extort money from relatives abroad
A 62-year-old Pastor, Sanmori Joshua in collaboration with his 42-year-old wife Sanmori Taiwo have organized self-kidnapping to extort money from the wife’s relatives abroad, a plot which has landed them in police net.
Penpushing reports that the incident happened between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on August 23, 2025 at Road 5, PowerLine, Ondo City, where the woman deliberately isolated herself in a separate room after conspiring with her pastor-husband to stage her own abduction.
The Ondo State Police Command Public Relations Officer Olushola Ayanlade confirmed the incident in a statement adding that the husband subsequently placed calls to the wife’s relatives using her mobile phone number, falsely claiming that she had been kidnapped by unknown gunmen who were demanding the sum of N10 million as ransom.
“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)’, Ayanlade said.
“Acting swiftly on the report, an investigation team from the command’s anti-kidnapping squad supported by Enu-Owa Division in Ondo City proceeded to the Sanmori’s residence in Ondo Town, where Mrs Taiwo was found’, he wrote.
“She falsely claimed to have just been released by kidnappers after a ransom of Five million naira was allegedly paid. 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 pretence of securing her release. She further admitted that her motive was to settle debts and provide for her personal needs’,Ayanlade stated.
Penpushing further reports that the command spokesperson, a superintendent of police in the statement said the couple as at the time of filing this report were under investigation, with appropriate legal action to follow.
“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 emphasised.
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