By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Grace Ogunleye, the Vice Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area in Ekiti State, has been remanded in prison for allegedly staging her own abduction.
According to the prosecution, Ogunleye orchestrated the fake kidnapping with three accomplices to raise money for personal debts and unresolved political commitments.
The plot unraveled after security agencies launched a search operation following reports that she had been abducted on May 20 along the Ipere-Iludun Ekiti Road.
Her abandoned vehicle had initially triggered widespread anxiety among residents and political stakeholders over worsening insecurity in the state..
However, investigations by the Ekiti State Police Command allegedly uncovered evidence suggesting the abduction was staged.Ogunleye and the three other suspects were subsequently arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, on charges bordering on conspiracy and self-kidnapping.
The prosecutor, Mr. Akinwale Oriyimi, told the court that the case had been referred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ordered the defendants to be remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Custodial Centre pending further proceedings.
The incident continues to spark reactions across political and security sectors.
Experts warn that staging fake abductions severely undermines public trust and wastes critical resources, distracting security agencies from combating genuine cases of kidnapping and violent crime.
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