Army Hands Over Suspect to Police for Faking Own Kidnap, Demanding N20m Ransom from Family
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly staging his own abduction in a bid to extort ₦20 million from his family.
Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka.
Ikenga explained that the suspect, whose name was withheld, faked his kidnap on August 15 and sent a text message to his relatives, claiming he had been abducted and demanding a ransom for his release.
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He was later tracked to a hideout in Rivers State through intelligence-driven operations before being taken into custody by troops of the 302 Artillery Regiment of the Nigerian Army, Onitsha, who subsequently handed him over to the police on September 15 for further investigation.
“The suspect allegedly staged his own kidnapping to extort money from his family members,” Ikenga said, adding that the case was under investigation and justice would be served.
This is not the first time the Anambra Command has uncovered staged abductions. Just last month, police arrested two suspects—23-year-old Nmesoma Nwoye and her 24-year-old boyfriend, Chibuike Ogbu—for conspiring to fake Nwoye’s abduction. The operation led to the recovery of ₦1.2 million, part of the ransom already paid by her family.
Police authorities have warned residents against such criminal schemes, stressing that security operatives will continue to leverage technology and intelligence to uncover false kidnappings and other related crimes.
By PRNigeria
