The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 29-year-old woman, Merit Eleh, for allegedly conspiring with accomplices to stage her own abduction in a desperate attempt to recover funds used to finance her bridal shower.
Merit had borrowed the sum of ₦3.6 million from her brother for her wedding-related expenses but resorted to a fake kidnapping scheme in order to extort ransom money from her family to repay the debt.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the arrest in a press briefing with journalists. According to Edafe, the incident began on July 21, 2025, when the police received a distress report alleging that a young woman had been abducted by unknown gunmen in the Bonsaac area of Asaba, Delta State.
Upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, swiftly directed the Commander of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad, CSP Godwin Osadolor, to immediately launch a thorough investigation and ensure the safe rescue of the purported victim.
Acting on this directive, the squad initiated a coordinated, intelligence-led operation. Through diligent investigative efforts and surveillance, the team apprehended one of the suspects, Alfred Elisha, at Koka Roundabout in Asaba. Shortly afterward, another suspect, Ugochukwu Adim, was arrested along DLA Road, also in Asaba, at approximately 9:00 a.m. on July 22, 2025.
During interrogation, Alfred Elisha confessed that there had been no actual kidnapping. He disclosed that the so-called victim, Merit Eleh, was the mastermind behind the scheme and had orchestrated the fake abduction with the help of accomplices. Based on his confession, the police were able to track and arrest Merit herself.
In her confession, Merit admitted that she had borrowed ₦3.6 million from her brother to cover costs for her bridal shower, hotel accommodation, and other wedding expenses incurred in March 2025. Struggling to repay the loan, she came up with the idea of faking her own abduction in the hopes of raising money from a ransom payment.
Merit further revealed that after staging the fake kidnapping, she received a ransom of ₦3 million from her family. Out of that amount, she gave her co-conspirators a total of ₦500,000 and kept ₦2.5 million for herself, intending to use it to settle her outstanding debts.
SP Edafe stated that all suspects involved in the conspiracy have now been arrested and are currently in police custody. He added that a comprehensive investigation is underway to conclude the case and bring all perpetrators to justice.
The Delta State Police Command used the opportunity to warn the public against engaging in criminal schemes of this nature, stressing that such deceptive acts not only waste law enforcement resources but also cause emotional and psychological distress to families and loved ones.