In a shocking twist that has stirred outrage and disbelief, a graduating student of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Helen Kayode, has been apprehended by the Ekiti State Police Command for allegedly orchestrating her own abduction—just to spend the night with her boyfriend.
The scandal unfolded after Helen sent a distress message to her sister on May 1, claiming she had mistakenly boarded the wrong bus and had been kidnapped. The alarming message quickly went viral, igniting widespread panic across Iworoko-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, and throwing the normally peaceful state into a frenzy.
According to the Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, the bogus report claimed she was being held in an uncompleted building surrounded by thick bushland. “The false information spread rapidly across social media, triggering anxiety and undermining the existing peaceful security architecture in the state,” Abutu said during a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.
However, police investigations swiftly unmasked the hoax. Contrary to her claims, Helen had never been kidnapped. Instead, she had spent the night with her boyfriend in Ado-Ekiti and later travelled to Lagos—all while her family and authorities were thrown into turmoil.
SP Abutu further revealed that the suspect confessed to faking her abduction so she could celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend, who had promised her a special surprise. Her parents, insisting she return to Lagos, had inadvertently triggered the desperate stunt.
Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, condemned the incident in strong terms, warning that the command would not tolerate any form of misinformation capable of inciting fear or disrupting public order.
“The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” Eribo affirmed, adding that the police remain resolute in safeguarding lives and property and upholding peace across the state.
The case has since sparked widespread debate on social media, with many questioning the growing trend of young people using sensational tactics for personal gratification—regardless of the consequences.
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