Female Student, Boyfriend Arrested for Staging Own Kidnap to Demand ₦10 Million Ransom in Anambra

Anambra State, Nigeria — The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with a staged kidnapping scheme intended to extort ₦10 million from the victim's family.

The suspects, Chinecherem Nwaokoye, a 28-year-old student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), and her alleged accomplice and boyfriend, Chinecherem Aronu, 30, were apprehended by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) following an intelligence-driven investigation.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the arrest followed a distress report received on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, when Nwaokoye's family reported her missing. She had informed her family that she was returning home from school, but failed to arrive. Repeated attempts to reach her were unsuccessful as her phone was switched off.

The following day, July 9, the family received a call from a man claiming to be her abductor, demanding a ₦10 million ransom. Following negotiations, the ransom was reduced to ₦3 million, and the family eventually paid ₦1 million into the victim's personal bank account.

Acting on credible intelligence, police operatives tracked the suspects to a lodge at the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, where Nwaokoye was found safe and in the company of Aronu.

During interrogation, both suspects confessed to staging the abduction. Nwaokoye admitted to masterminding the plot after watching a movie that portrayed a similar scheme. She revealed her intention was to raise funds to help her boyfriend start a business.

"Upon interrogation, the duo confessed to staging the kidnapping as a plot to extract money from the victim's family," the police said. "The female suspect admitted she was inspired by a movie and planned to use the money to support her boyfriend's business ambitions."

Reacting to the incident, Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, ordered the immediate prosecution of the suspects and condemned the act, describing it as "a clear sign of deepening moral decay among Nigerian youth."

SP Ikenga quoted the CP as saying that the Command "will not tolerate such criminal deception", warning that anyone involved in similar acts will face the full weight of the law.

This case adds to a growing list of self-orchestrated abductions aimed at extorting family members. In March 2024, a 19-year-old student in Lagos faked her own kidnapping to pressure her parents into sponsoring a trip abroad. Similarly, in August 2023, two siblings in Delta State were arrested for staging the fake abduction of their cousin in a failed attempt to split the ransom.

Security analysts have expressed concern over this disturbing trend, blaming the glamorization of crime in movies and on social media, combined with economic hardship and weakened parental oversight, as key drivers behind the rise in staged abductions among young Nigerians.

The Anambra Police Command has urged the public to report any suspicious activities promptly and reaffirmed its commitment to tackling evolving criminal tactics through intelligence-led policing.