26-Year-Old Arrested in Enugu for Faking Own Kidnap, Demanding ₦35m Ransom

Police operatives in the Trans-Ekulu Division of Enugu State have arrested 26-year-old Chibuike Ugwuja for allegedly orchestrating his own abduction and demanding ₦35 million from his family.

The Enugu State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Monday.

According to Ndukwe, Ugwuja’s father reported him missing on November 24 after the young man left for work on November 22 and never returned home.

During the period he was declared missing, Ugwuja allegedly sent a Facebook message to a female neighbour, claiming he had been abducted by unknown persons in a commercial bus and that his captors were requesting a ransom.

While police investigations and search operations were underway, Ugwuja’s father brought him to the station on November 30 at around 2 p.m.

Ndukwe explained: “This followed days of intensified search operations by police operatives, who had been working to trace his whereabouts and rescue him.

“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, rather than returning home, and masterminded the false abduction.

“He demanded ₦35,000,000 from his family but returned home on Nov. 29, at about 9 a.m. after his ransom demands were not met.

“The suspect attributed his actions to frustration over his uncle’s alleged inability to procure a tricycle for him.”

The spokesperson added that the suspect remains in custody and will be charged to court after the investigation is completed.

He also stressed the command’s commitment to holding individuals accountable for misusing public trust.

“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, described the incident as a regrettable height of criminality and commended the parents for reporting the matter promptly.

“The commissioner reassured the public that the law will take its course and urged citizens to report kidnappings rather than hastily paying ransom demands,” Ndukwe said.

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