By Precious Owolabi – Ado-Ekiti

A 24-year-old final-year student of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Helen Kayode, has landed in police custody after she allegedly faked her own kidnap in a bid to spend time with her boyfriend in Ado-Ekiti.

The Ekiti State Police Command disclosed that the suspect raised a false alarm on Friday, May 1, 2025, claiming she had boarded the wrong vehicle along the Iworoko-Ado Ekiti road and had been abducted by unknown armed men who held her hostage in an uncompleted building surrounded by bush.

The fake abduction message, sent to her sister, quickly went viral on social media and threw residents of Ado-Ekiti and Iworoko-Ekiti into panic, raising fears of insecurity in the state.

However, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abutu Sunday, in a statement made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti, revealed that investigation showed Helen was never kidnapped. She had, in fact, spent the night with her boyfriend and later travelled to Lagos to meet her parents.

The police spokesman said the suspect later confessed to orchestrating the false kidnap story to enable her remain in Ado-Ekiti for her birthday celebration, which was scheduled for May 5, 2025. According to her, her parents had insisted she return to Lagos ahead of her birthday, but she wanted to stay back with her boyfriend who had promised her a surprise package.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo, who condemned the act, warned against giving false information capable of causing public panic and disrupting the peace in the state. He affirmed that such actions would not be treated lightly and offenders would face the full wrath of the law.

He added that the suspect is still under investigation and would be charged to court soon, while reiterating the Command’s commitment to maintaining peace and security across the state.