Officers of the Ondo State Police Command have apprehended a couple, Pastor Joshua Sanmori and his wife, Taiwo Sanmori, over an alleged staged kidnapping.
The 62-year-old pastor is suspected of collaborating with his 42-year-old wife to fake her abduction in a bid to extort ransom money from relatives and acquaintances.
Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, stated that the incident occurred on August 23, 2025, at Road 5, Power Line, Ondo City.
According to Ayanlade, Taiwo secluded herself in a separate room within their home while her husband falsely raised an alarm, claiming she had been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen who were demanding N10 million in ransom.
A family member, Mr. Fasegha Joseph, grew suspicious of the story and reported it to the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, who ordered the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS) to launch an investigation.
Upon investigation, Mrs Taiwo was found at their residence in Ondo town, where she falsely claimed to have been released by kidnappers after a ransom of five million naira was paid.
During interrogation, Mrs Taiwo confessed that the abduction was staged as a self-kidnapping scheme to extort money from her relatives abroad under the guise of securing her release. She admitted that her motive was to settle debts and provide for her personal needs.
Both she and her husband are currently under investigation, and legal action is being taken. In a separate development, the PPRO also disclosed the arrest of an armed robbery suspect, Tosin Zaccheous, 23, in Ikare-Akoko, the headquarters of Akoko North East Local Council of the state.
Zaccheous allegedly attacked Serah Ogunbodede and forcefully robbed her of her bag on August 25, behind Winners’ Chapel, Ikare-Akoko.
“The victim’s alarm attracted the attention of nearby police detectives, who pursued and arrested the suspect. A locally made barrel gun was recovered from his possession, confirming that he was armed during the attack,” Ayanlade said.
The suspect and the case file have been transferred to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Office in Akure for further investigation and prosecution.
