The Police in Edo State, South-south Nigeria, have arrested three kidnap suspects, including a woman, who allegedly faked her kidnap for N4.8 million.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, the police spokesperson in the state, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the arrest was executed through “technical intelligence.”
Mr Nwabuzor, a police superintendent, identified the woman as Blessing Ogunu, a staff of Bliss Legacy Limited in Benin City.
The other suspects are Esther Anthony and Ukpebor Joel.
“During interrogation, Blessing Ogunu confessed that she masterminded the whole process of herself being kidnapped because her company refused to allocate land to a customer whom they had collected money from.
“The suspects will soon be charged to court,” Mr Nwabuzor said.
Cases of some Nigerians faking their kidnap apparently to collect ransom from their relatives have been on the rise in the country.
The incident occurred within the same month (March) the police in Akwa Ibom State arrested a woman for faking her kidnap.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Waheed Ayilara, had told reporters in Uyo, the state capital that the woman arranged her own kidnap for N4 million ransom before she and her boyfriend were arrested.
The suspect, the police commissioner said, confessed to having conspired with her boyfriend and three others to fake her kidnap, to raise money from her aunty, who is based outside the country.
This newspaper, in August, reported how a 28-year-old man, Ezekiel Eseoghene, allegedly faked his kidnap to extort money from family members.
The suspect had also masterminded the kidnap of other members of his family in Odovie in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, this newspaper had reported.
PREMIUM TIMES, in 2020, had also reported how a female teenager in Lagos, South-south Nigeria, connived with her boyfriend to allegedly stage her kidnap for N30 million ransom.
Support PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
Donate
TEXT AD: Call Willie – +2348098788999
