The Edo State Police Command has arrested and charged a young social media content creator for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and spreading false information capable of inciting public unrest, in a decisive crackdown on the growing misuse of digital platforms for deceptive and inflammatory content.
The suspect, Osarobo Omoyemen, a 24-year-old woman better known online as “Madam Oil Rice”, had circulated a viral claim that she was abducted along Upper Sakponba Road and later rescued by police officers who allegedly detained her at Akpata Police Station and extorted ₦10,000 as bail.
Following the report, police launched an immediate investigation, which revealed that the entire incident was deliberately fabricated.
According to the police, Omoyemen confessed during interrogation that she orchestrated the fake kidnap solely to boost her visibility and attract followers to her TikTok page. Investigators also uncovered an earlier video, later deleted in which an accomplice could be heard in the background urging viewers to follow her account, further exposing the staged nature of the incident.
Police described the content as “dangerous and misleading”, warning that it had the potential to incite hostility against law enforcement and trigger unnecessary fear and tension across Edo State.
The suspect was formally charged to court on Thursday, 20 November 2025, and police confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest her accomplices to face prosecution.
In a strong warning to the public, the Edo State Police Command cautioned against the creation and circulation of fake content, stressing that false reports capable of disturbing public peace would be met with the full weight of the law.
Members of the public were urged to verify information before sharing it, and to avoid actions that could undermine public confidence or compromise security operations.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining peace and security across Edo State, stating that social media must not be allowed to become a tool for panic, deception or destabilisation.
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