‘How my new SIM card nearly landed me in jail for kidnapping, murder’- Businesswoman
See her video
A Nigerian entrepreneur, Titilayo Ibrahim, has recounted a distressing experience in which she was nearly imprisoned after being wrongly linked to a kidnapping case involving a ₦50 million ransom and murder.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Yoruba that has since circulated widely on social media platform X, Ibrahim explained that the incident began as a routine business transaction that quickly spiralled out of control.
According to her, on October 16, 2025, she received a message from a prospective customer requesting to purchase nightwear.
The buyer claimed she was using her husband’s phone due to a faulty device and later arranged to pick up the items at a location near the businesswoman’s estate.
However, upon arrival at the agreed meeting point, the situation took a dramatic turn. Two individuals approached her, identified themselves as police officers, and immediately placed her under arrest over a SIM card allegedly connected to a serious criminal case.
She stated that despite her insistence that the SIM card was newly acquired and used solely for her business MiFi, the officers accused her of being under investigation for a kidnapping and murder case that had occurred even before she obtained the line.
The businesswoman said authorities alleged that the number had been used in a kidnapping operation in which a ₦50 million ransom was paid, yet the victim was still killed.
She maintained that she purchased the SIM in April 2025, whereas the crime in question reportedly occurred in January 2024.
Ibrahim said her lawyer convinced the investigating team to accompany them to the office of the telecom service provider, where her claims about the SIM’s purchase date were verified.
She said that despite the verification, the officers refused to let her go, and she continued to face harassment and was nearly charged for an offence she had no connection to.
The young businesswoman said that in the end, sanity prevailed, as there was no evidence linking her to the alleged criminal offence. She was allowed to go.
Her story has triggered widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the risks associated with improperly recycled SIM cards.
Some have cautioned against the use of pre-registered lines, while others highlighted how easily innocent individuals can become entangled in criminal investigations due to identity or data-related issues.
See the video here.
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