Woman And Boyfriend Arrested For Faking Kidnap To Extort N15m From Her Family In Anambra

Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old woman, Nmesoma Josephine Nwoye, and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Chibuike Ogbu, for staging a fake kidnapping in an attempt to extort money from her family.

In a statement on Saturday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspects demanded ₦15 million as ransom.

Ikenga said that following negotiations, the family transferred ₦3 million into Nmesoma’s account before police uncovered the scheme and arrested the lovers.

During the operation carried out by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad in Awkuzu, part of the ransom, ₦1.2 million, was recovered from the suspects after an intelligence-led operation exposed the plot.

The statement read, “The suspects identified as Nmesoma Josephine Nwoye, female, aged 23 years, and Chibuike Ogbu, male, aged 24 years, were arrested after intelligence-led operations uncovered that the supposed victim conspired with Chibuike (her boyfriend) to stage her own abduction. 

“The operatives also recovered the sum of ₦1,200,000, being part of the ransom earlier paid by the girl’s family members. 

“Further information reveals that the suspects demanded ₦15million ransom, and after negotiation, ₦3million was transferred into the victim’s account. 

“Reacting to the development, CP Orutugu described the incident as a reflection of the rising moral decay in the society, where young people are increasingly resorting to criminality for selfish gains.” 

The CP called on parents, guardians, and religious leaders to step up efforts in instilling discipline, integrity, and sound values in young people.

“The CP also warned youths against engaging in self-destructive ventures, stressing that the long arm of the law will always catch up with criminals, no matter how cleverly disguised their schemes may be,” the statement added.

KanyiDaily recalls that police recently condemned the assault of NYSC member, Jennifer Elobor, by local security operatives in Anambra.