A married woman identified as Oluchi has been discovered in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own kidnap and demanding a N50 million ransom from her family.
According to The Punch, before the truth emerged, her children, including a daughter based in Canada, had appealed to the public for financial assistance to secure her release after the supposed kidnappers reportedly reduced the ransom demand to N20 million.
The family had earlier informed the police that Oluchi was abducted around the Ikpoba Hill area in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
However, police investigations reportedly uncovered a different story, as detectives tracked the case to Delta State where the woman was allegedly found in a hotel with her lover.
A source familiar with the investigation 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 viral online video, Oluchi’s daughter, Anita, who resides in Canada, expressed shock over the incident, saying the development had devastated the family and damaged her reputation.
She said, “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. My dad has some health issues. This is so unfortunate. What did I do wrong?
“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.
“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 mom is involved. They are having a relationship. The guy was traced. They had agreed to take what we already raised to N20m.”
The Harmony Ladies Club, a social association Anita belongs to, also distanced itself from the incident in a statement circulated on its WhatsApp platform and shared with journalists.
The group described the incident as disappointing and embarrassing, stating that members had initially supported the family wholeheartedly when news of the alleged abduction surfaced.
The statement read, “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.
“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.”
Confirming the incident, Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said four suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.
She added, “I can confirm the incident and also let you know that four people have also been arrested in connection with the incident.”
