The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 54-year-old woman for allegedly staging her own kidnapping in an attempt to extort N15m from her younger brother.
The suspect reportedly claimed that she was abducted by unknown men and taken into a bush, where her supposed captors demanded N15m as ransom for her release.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed the development in a video showing the woman confessing to the alleged crime.
Edafe said the case was reported at the Ogwashi-Uku Divisional Police Headquarters on October 23, 2026, following which the Commissioner of Police directed the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area, to investigate.
According to the police spokesperson, operatives launched an intelligence-led investigation that eventually exposed the alleged kidnapping as a carefully arranged scheme to obtain money from the woman’s younger brother.
He expressed surprise that a woman of 54 years would allegedly stage her own abduction, noting that previous cases of fake kidnapping encountered by the command mostly involved teenagers and younger individuals.
Edafe said, “In the past, we have heard of cases of self-kidnapping and fake kidnappings involving underage persons or teenagers aged 15, 16, 17 or 18 to 20. But we have never had a case involving a 54-year-old woman.
“It is quite unfortunate that she faked her own kidnapping because she wanted to extort N15m from her younger brother.”
In a confessional video released by the police, the woman admitted that she organised the alleged abduction and contacted her brother to demand the ransom.
She explained that she had told her brother she was kidnapped after leaving to purchase medicine.
According to her confession, she informed him that her supposed abductors were demanding N15m and threatened to kill her if the money was not paid.
“I kidnapped myself. I told my brother I had been kidnapped when I went out to buy medicine, and it took me to the bush. I called my brother and told him.
“I told him they wanted N15m and that if he didn’t pay the money, they would kill me. It was the devil’s work. I want forgiveness,” she said.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that the suspect claimed to have remained in captivity for 12 days, beginning from October 23, before her arrest.
He commended the Anti-Kidnapping Unit for uncovering the alleged deception before the situation could escalate.
Edafe also revealed that preliminary investigations indicated that the woman did not act alone, as other individuals were allegedly involved in planning or executing the scheme.
He said the police had commenced efforts to track down the suspected accomplices, assuring that those involved would be arrested.
The command urged members of the public to report suspected kidnapping incidents to security agencies and avoid taking actions that could complicate investigations.
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