Court Remands Ekiti LG Vice Chairman Over Fake Kidnap Plot

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has ordered the remand of the Vice Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Grace Ogunleye, over allegations that she staged her own kidnapping.

The ruling followed her arraignment on multiple counts connected to the alleged self-orchestrated abduction, which reportedly triggered a large-scale security response in Ekiti State.

Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre, pending legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after the case file is duplicated and forwarded.

According to court records and police findings, Ogunleye was declared missing on May 20, 2026, after her vehicle was discovered abandoned along the Ipere–Iludun Ekiti road, raising fears of a possible abduction.

The incident prompted a coordinated rescue operation involving the police, military personnel and local security operatives before she was later found on May 21, 2026.

However, investigators reportedly uncovered evidence suggesting that the disappearance was staged, allegedly to raise funds to meet financial and political obligations.

The matter has since been adjourned pending further directives from the DPP.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Pius Dada, condemned the alleged act, describing it as a serious embarrassment to public office and governance.

He stressed that no official would be protected if found culpable, adding that such actions undermine public confidence in both government institutions and security agencies.

Authorities say further investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged fake kidnapping.