- 28-year-old ESUT student faked her own kidnap to extort money
- Police tracked ₦1m part-payment to her account, arrested her and boyfriend
- Commissioner of Police says incident reflects deep moral decay
A 28-year-old student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Chinecherem Nwaokoye, has been arrested by the Anambra State Police Command after allegedly faking her own kidnapping to extort N10 million from her family.
Eko Hot Blog reports that she was arrested alongside her 30-year-old boyfriend, Chinecherem Aronu, at a lodge near the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, where police operatives found them following an intelligence-led operation.
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According to the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the family had reported Nwaokoye missing on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, after she told them she was heading home from school but failed to arrive.
Her phone remained switched off, sparking concern. The next day, July 9, the family received a ransom call from a man who demanded N10 million, claiming responsibility for her abduction.
Negotiations brought the demand down to N3 million, and the family reportedly paid N1 million into Nwaokoye’s own bank account, a detail that alerted police investigators.
Following the trail, officers of the Rapid Response Squad located the suspects in Awka, where Nwaokoye was found unhurt, staying with her boyfriend.
During questioning, the suspects admitted to faking the kidnap. Nwaokoye reportedly told police she got the idea after watching a movie, and wanted to use the ransom to help her boyfriend start a business.
“She admitted she masterminded the plan to raise money and said she was inspired by a movie plot,” SP Ikenga confirmed.
Reacting to the case, Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, ordered the immediate prosecution of the duo, describing the incident as “a clear sign of deepening moral decay” among Nigerian youths.
He warned that the Command would not tolerate such acts of deception and misuse of police resources.
The case follows a disturbing trend of staged abductions across Nigeria. In March 2024, a 19-year-old student in Lagos faked her kidnap to pressure her parents into funding an international trip. Similarly, in August 2023, two siblings in Delta State staged their cousin’s abduction in a failed attempt to split ransom money.
Security experts have raised concerns about the growing influence of films, social media, and economic hardship in driving young people towards criminal deception.
The Anambra Police Command is urging the public to remain alert and report suspicious behaviour to the nearest station, as part of its ongoing efforts to counter emerging criminal trends.
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