EKSU Graduate Arrested for Faking Kidnap to Stay with Boyfriend
The Ekiti State Police Command has apprehended Helen Kayode, a final-year student at Ekiti State University (EKSU), for allegedly fabricating her own kidnapping to secretly spend time with her boyfriend.
Authorities revealed on Thursday that Helen’s false claim triggered widespread alarm in Iworoko-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti after she messaged her sister on May 1, stating she had boarded the wrong vehicle and been abducted.
SP Sunday Abutu, the police spokesperson, explained that the misleading message spread rapidly, creating unnecessary panic and disturbing the state’s generally peaceful security environment.
Helen allegedly told investigators that she was held hostage in an unfinished building surrounded by dense vegetation. However, further police scrutiny exposed the story as a hoax—she had actually spent the night with her boyfriend before traveling to Lagos.
According to Abutu, Helen admitted during interrogation that she invented the kidnapping story to avoid returning to Lagos as her parents had instructed. She wanted to remain in Ado-Ekiti to celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend, who had promised her a special surprise.
Joseph Eribo, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, strongly denounced the act, cautioning against the spread of false information and emphasizing that offenders would be prosecuted. He confirmed that Helen would face legal action once investigations were complete and reiterated the police’s dedication to safeguarding lives, property, and public order in the state.