The Vice Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Grace Ogunleye, has been remanded in a correctional facility following allegations that she staged her own kidnapping to raise funds for political and financial commitments.
A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday ordered Ogunleye’s remand after she was arraigned on multiple charges linked to the alleged self-orchestrated abduction.
Presiding Chief Magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, directed that the council vice chairman be held at the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre pending the duplication of the case file and its transmission to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
The development follows an incident reported on May 20, 2026, when Ogunleye was declared kidnapped along the Ipere–Iludun Ekiti Road. Her vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside, triggering widespread concern and a coordinated search operation.
Security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, military personnel and local security operatives, launched a rescue mission before she was eventually found the following day, May 21.
However, preliminary police investigations reportedly revealed that the alleged kidnapping was staged. Investigators claimed the plot was designed to generate funds to address personal financial obligations and political commitments.
The case has been adjourned pending further directives from the DPP.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Pius Dada, condemned the alleged act and stressed that no public office holder would be shielded from the law.
Dada described the incident as “disgraceful” and warned that such actions were capable of eroding public confidence in government officials and security institutions. He maintained that anyone found culpable must be made to face the full weight of the law.
