The Edo State Police Command has arraigned a 24-year-old TikToker, Osarobo Omoyemen, popularly known online as “Madam Oil Rice,” for allegedly staging her own kidnapping to boost traffic and gain followers on her social media page.
According to police reports, Omoyemen released a viral video claiming she had been abducted along Upper Sakponba Road in Benin City and later rescued by officers who allegedly detained her at Akpata Police Station and extorted ₦10,000 as bail.
The video also featured a background voice urging viewers to follow her TikTok page—an element police say was key to uncovering her motive.
Police spokesperson CSP Moses Yamu said investigators reviewed the video and found inconsistencies, prompting a deeper probe that revealed the story was entirely fabricated.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to orchestrating the incident to drive online traffic and attract more followers,” Yamu said.
He described the act as dangerous misinformation capable of inciting public hostility toward the police and causing needless tension in the state.
He also noted that Omoyemen deleted an earlier version of her video where an accomplice was heard encouraging viewers to follow her page, further confirming the deliberate nature of the stunt.
The TikToker has since been arrested and charged to court, while police say efforts are underway to track down and prosecute her accomplices.
The Command warned the public against spreading false information or creating content that could compromise peace and security in the state.
