The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested two suspects for allegedly conspiring to stage a fake kidnapping in a bid to extort ₦30 million.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, said the incident was reported on October 31, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m., when the father of one of the suspects contacted the Police Control Room to report that his son had been abducted from his hostel in Ikwo Local Government Area.
According to Ukandu, the distressed father told police that he had received “view-once” videos and voice notes showing his son bound and apparently being held captive.
The purported kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₦30 million, threatening to kill the young man if the money was not paid.
“Following the report, operatives of the Command commenced a painstaking, intelligence-driven investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and apprehend those responsible,” Ukandu said.
He added that sustained surveillance and discreet investigations led to a breakthrough on the night of November 5, when police operatives arrested the two suspects as they emerged from the room where they had been hiding.
Reacting to the arrests, the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, CP Hope Urunwa Okafor, warned members of the public against engaging in criminal schemes involving false kidnapping claims.
“Staging a kidnapping not only inflicts severe emotional trauma on parents, guardians, and loved ones, but also diverts valuable police resources from addressing genuine security threats,” Okafor warned.
She further cautioned that anyone involved in such acts would face the full consequences of the law.
“Anyone contemplating such an act must be aware that staging a kidnapping and making false claims of abduction are serious criminal offences punishable under the law,” she said.
