The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended two individuals for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping scheme aimed at extorting money from the family of the supposed victim.
The suspects, identified as 28-year-old Chinecherem Nwaokoye, a female student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), and her 30-year-old male accomplice, Chinecherem Aronu, were arrested following a thorough intelligence-led investigation by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
Providing details of the case, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, explained that the police launched the investigation after receiving a report concerning the alleged abduction of Chinecherem Nwaokoye.
Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives raided a lodge located at the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, Anambra State, where Nwaokoye was found alive, in the company of her male partner in crime.
According to the police, the incident began on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, when Chinecherem Nwaokoye contacted her family, informing them that she was on her way home from school.
However, she never arrived, and her phone was subsequently switched off for the entire day. The following day, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the family received a phone call from an unidentified male voice, claiming responsibility for her alleged abduction and demanding a ransom of N10 million.
SP Ikenga further revealed that after some negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to reduce the ransom to N3 million. Eventually, a partial payment of N1 million was transferred — notably, into the supposed victim’s own bank account.
During police interrogation, the two suspects confessed to orchestrating the fake abduction. Nwaokoye, who admitted to being the mastermind, disclosed that she was inspired by a movie she had watched. She explained that her motive was to secure funds to help her boyfriend establish a business.
Reacting to the development, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, directed that the suspects be swiftly charged to court. He condemned the incident, describing it as a disturbing reflection of the moral degeneration among certain youths in society.