Ivorian National Fakes Kidnap In Ogun State To Extort Money From Family In Cote D’Ivoire

The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday said it rescued a 38-year-old Ivorian national, Kacou Alleby, who was allegedly kidnapped in Ogun State.

The police said it was later discovered that Kacou had staged his own abduction in a plot to extort money from his family in Côte d’Ivoire.

According to a statement issued by Force spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the rescue followed a distress request received from the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja on behalf of authorities in Abidjan.

Alleby was said to have been abducted on September 12, 2025, and held for 12 days inside a hideout in the Matogun area of Ogun State.

Acting on directives from Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) launched a coordinated operation that eventually led to his release.

In the course of the operation, police arrested one 28-year-old woman identified as Angela Arisa — also an Ivorian national — who allegedly confessed to being part of the conspiracy.

Arisa reportedly led investigators to the hideout at Olambe, Ogun State, where Alleby was recovered alive.

However, investigations soon revealed that Alleby was not a genuine victim.

Instead, he had colluded with Arisa to fake his own kidnap.

The police said the duo produced staged torture videos and voice notes, which were sent to his family in Abidjan to pressure them into paying ransom.

The statement reads:  “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, immediately issued directives to 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 Matogun area of Ogun State. In the swift operation, one Angela Arisa, female aged 28, also an Ivorian national, was arrested, who later led the operatives to a hideout at an estate in Olambe, Ogun State, where the supposed victim was rescued unhurt.

“Subsequent investigation revealed that the purported victim, Kacou Alleby, and the suspect, Angela Arisa, had conspired to stage the kidnap with the aim of extorting his family in Côte d’Ivoire. They had recorded torture videos and voice notes demanding ransom to pressure the family into payment. Efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest other accomplices who aided in producing the fake torture videos.

“The Nigeria Police Force strongly condemns such criminal conduct and reiterates that self-kidnap is a serious crime under Nigerian law. IGP Egbetokun warns that criminal elements will face the full weight of the law, as such acts not only undermine security but also attempt to tarnish the image of the country.”