Police operatives under the Trans-Ekulu Division of the Enugu State Command have arrested a 26-year-old man, Chibuike Ugwuja, for allegedly staging his own kidnapping and demanding ₦35 million from his family.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed the development in a statement on Monday in Enugu.
According to Ndukwe, the suspect’s father had reported him missing on November 24 after he left for work on November 22 and failed to return home. While the family was searching for him, Ugwuja allegedly sent a Facebook message to a female neighbour, claiming he had been abducted by unknown persons inside a commercial bus and that his supposed captors were demanding ransom.
Ndukwe said the police had intensified search efforts to trace and rescue him when the suspect’s father brought him to the station on November 30 at about 2 p.m.
“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to staging the self-kidnap. He revealed that after work, he went to a friend’s residence at Amorji Nike, Enugu, instead of returning home, and masterminded the false abduction. He demanded ₦35,000,000 from his family but returned home on November 29, at about 9 a.m. when his ransom demands were not met,” Ndukwe said.
The suspect reportedly claimed he acted out of frustration over his uncle’s alleged inability to procure a tricycle for him.
Ndukwe confirmed that Ugwuja remains in custody and will be charged to court once investigations are completed. He emphasised the police’s resolve to ensure individuals who attempt to exploit or undermine public trust face the full weight of the law.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, described the incident as a regrettable height of criminality and commended the parents for promptly reporting the matter. He also urged citizens to report suspected kidnapping incidents instead of hastily paying ransom,” the statement added.