The police in Anambra State say they have arrested a 23-year-old woman who allegedly staged her own kidnap with her boyfriend and then extorted N3 million from her family.
The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, identified the woman as Nmesoma Josephine Nwoye and her boyfriend, Chibuike Ogbu.
The spokesperson said the two suspects have been arrested by police operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu.
He said the arrest of the suspects followed intelligence-led operations, which helped to uncover how the woman conspired with the boyfriend to stage her kidnapping.
The development occurred about a month after another woman, a 28-year-old university student, allegedly staged her kidnap in Anambra State to get money for her boyfriend’s proposed business.
Conspiracy with boyfriend
On the latest incident, Mr Ikenga said preliminary investigation revealed that the two suspects initially demanded N15 million ransom from the woman’s family.
The police spokesperson said that after negotiations, the family transferred N3 million ransom into the woman’s account.
“The operatives recovered the sum of N1.2 million, being part of the ransom earlier paid by the girl’s family members,” he said.
He did not, however, mention when the incident happened or when the suspects were arrested.
Commissioner speaks
In his reaction, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, expressed “deep concern” over the incident, Mr Ikenga said.
Mr Orutugu said he was worried over the rising cases of moral decadence in Nigeria society.
He 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 commissioner urged parents, guardians, and religious leaders to intensify efforts in inculcating discipline, integrity, and sound values in their children and wards.
The police chief warned youths against engaging in “self-destructive ventures,” stressing that the “long arm of the law will always catch up with criminals.”
Abduction for ransom
Like other states in the South-east, cases of abduction for ransom in Anambra State have increased in recent times.
Civil servants, business owners, politicians and even students have become targets of such attacks in the state lately. But cases of self-kidnap for ransom were not common before now.
Meanwhile, Nigerian government, in May 2022, enacted the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act (2022) which outlawed all forms of kidnapping.
The Act prescribes death sentence for kidnapping in a case where the abduction leads to loss of life and life imprisonment where there is no loss of life.
It was an amendment to the now defunct Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act (2013) which had prescribed a 10-years jail term for kidnapping.
The new Act also prescribes at least a 15-year jail term for whoever pays ransom to free kidnap victims.
Several persons have been convicted for kidnapping across Nigeria.
An Ikeja Special Offences Court, in September 2022, sentenced kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, to 21 years imprisonment for kidnapping.