A 16-year-old student in Abakaliki has landed in police custody after allegedly masterminding her own fake abduction to extort ₦2 million from her family.
According to SP Joshua Ukandu, spokesperson for the Ebonyi State Police Command, the SS2 student of a private secondary school on Watchman Street conspired with a family friend to stage the hoax.
Authorities say she reached out to a relative with a false kidnap claim, hoping to pressure the family into paying the ransom.
The police have launched a deeper investigation into the matter, warning against rising trends of self-kidnap among youths.
She is a native of Izzi Local Government Area and was due to return to school for the third term on Saturday.
The girl told police she had gone to buy second-hand clothes, known locally as ‘Okirika’, when someone tapped her from behind.
She claimed to have lost consciousness and woke up the next day at Ishieke Junction in Ebonyi Local Government Area.
She added that she often dreams of being kidnapped, and her mother regularly prays against it.
Upon regaining consciousness, she asked for directions back to Abakaliki town.
Instead of returning home, she went to the house of a family friend who had no idea she was missing.
Using the man’s phone, she messaged her brother, claiming she had been kidnapped and demanded ₦2 million ransom.
Her brother asked to speak with the kidnappers and requested their location, but she refused and blocked his number.
Later, she unblocked his number and sent an account number belonging to the family friend hosting her.
Unluckily for her, the phone was tracked. Police raided the house and arrested everyone involved in the plot.
The police spokesperson confirmed that the command has launched a full investigation into the incident.
The girl has since been reunited with her family, though the matter remains under police investigation due to her age.
