A married woman identified as Mrs. Oluchi has been found in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own abduction and demanding ransom from her family.
The woman was initially reported to have been kidnapped around the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
Her children, including her daughter, Anita, who is based in Canada, had appealed to members of the public for financial assistance after the alleged abductors reportedly demanded ₦50 million ransom, which was later reduced to ₦20 million.
However, police investigation reportedly uncovered that the incident was not a real kidnapping.
A police crack team traced the phone number of a man linked to the alleged abduction to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State, where Oluchi was allegedly found with him.
A source familiar with the matter said, “Police traced the number of the man to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. They met the man and the kidnapped woman inside a hotel. They called the husband, and he was happy. It was at the station that the police broke the news to him. The wife begged the husband not to tell her children what actually transpired.”
In a video posted online, Anita confirmed that her mother had been found but said the family was shocked to learn that she was allegedly involved in the staged abduction.
She said the family did not pay ransom and that the money already raised would be refunded.
“My mum has been released. My mum is involved in this kidnapping case. I only did what I did to save my mom. The family is in shock. This is not right. This has shattered my family,” Anita said.
She added that her father had health challenges and that the incident had caused serious distress to the family.
“My reputation has been ruined. I am short of words. I am so mad. I have no hand in this. I never knew. I only wanted my mother back home. The law will take its course. I am sorry this is happening. I only did what any daughter would do. My family has been shattered,” she said.
Anita further stated that the family involved the police from the beginning and only later discovered that the case was allegedly staged.
“We were called that my mum has been released. We didn’t pay the kidnappers. The money is intact. We are going to make a refund. We involved the police from the beginning. We now know it was not a real kidnapping. They said my mum is involved. They are having a relationship. The guy was traced. They had agreed to take what we already raised to ₦20m,” she added.
The Harmony Ladies Club, a social club to which Anita belongs, also dissociated itself from the alleged fake kidnapping.
In a statement shared on its WhatsApp group and forwarded to journalists, the club expressed shock, disappointment and embarrassment over the incident.
According to the club, members had acted in good faith when news of the alleged abduction broke by providing emotional, logistical and financial support to the family.
“When news of her alleged abduction broke, the club acted swiftly in good faith. Out of sisterhood, love, and a sense of community responsibility, we rallied immediately,” the statement read.
“Our members provided extensive emotional, logistical, and financial support during what we believed was a life-threatening crisis, carrying the heavy burden of anxiety alongside her family.
“It is with a profound sense of betrayal that we have now discovered, through investigations, that the entire kidnapping incident was staged by Mrs. Oluchi herself.”
The Edo State Police Command confirmed the incident.