Ogona Anita
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested four suspects, including a 21-year-old man who allegedly staged his own kidnapping to extort a โฆ2 million ransom from his unsuspecting parents.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the suspects were arrested on May 24, 2025, around 1 p.m. by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad attached to the Nsukka Sector.
The key suspect, Chidera Godwin Ako, 21, was reported missing on May 4, 2025. Police investigations later revealed that he conspired with Okechukwu Philip Chidalu (19), Ifeanyi Ugwu (20), and Ossai Chigozie (35), a recently released ex-convict, to stage the abduction.
Ndukwe disclosed that the suspects used Chideraโs phone on May 21 to demand a ransom of โฆ10 million from his parents. They sent a video showing Chidera tied up and appearing severely beaten, with a locally made firearm pointed at him.
โMoved by fear, the parents pleaded for his release and paid โฆ1.5 million on May 22 into a bank account provided by the suspects. When the suspects failed to release him, an additional โฆ500,000 was paid,โ Ndukwe explained.
However, their luck ran out when police operatives tracked them to a POS centre where they were attempting to withdraw the ransom money. A locally made single-barrel gun and two live cartridges were recovered during the arrest.
The suspects have reportedly confessed to the crime and will be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, described the act as โunfortunateโ and has ordered the immediate arrest of anyone else connected to the crime.
โThis kind of criminality is not only condemnable, it is shameful,โ CP Giwa said. โI urge members of the public to promptly report suspected kidnapping cases to the police. Some so-called abductions, as this case shows, could be staged.โ
He also cautioned families against rushing to pay ransoms without proper verification and police involvement.
