The Edo State Police Command has uncovered an alleged staged kidnapping operation and arrested four suspects accused of conspiring to extort N50 million from family members through a fabricated abduction scheme.
According to the police, the suspects orchestrated a fake kidnapping involving a 45-year-old woman, Mrs. Oluchi Ugbowan, and circulated videos portraying her as a hostage in an attempt to convince relatives to pay a ransom.
The case came to light on June 1, 2026, when Mr. Tony Ugbowan of Agbor Road, Benin City, reported to the police that his wife had been kidnapped while on her way to her shop at Ramat Park along Agbor Road.
He told investigators that he had received a call from an unidentified number on May 28, demanding N50 million for her release.
Following the report, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit launched an investigation using intelligence and technical resources to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction.
The investigation led to the arrest of 28-year-old Israel Ability at Ramat Park in Benin City. Police said the mobile phone belonging to the purported victim was recovered from him.
During interrogation, Ability allegedly confessed that he had been recruited by Mrs. Ugbowan to negotiate ransom payments with her family while falsely presenting her as a kidnapping victim.
Further investigations led detectives to a hotel in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, where Mrs. Ugbowan was arrested on June 5.
Police said she admitted to staging her own kidnapping and subsequently led investigators to the residence of an accomplice, 38-year-old Ochukwudem Uwadia.
According to investigators, the residence was used to record videos showing the woman with her hands and feet tied, which were then sent to family members as purported evidence of her captivity.
The police further disclosed that Uwadia’s 18-year-old son, Chibuzor Ochukwudem, allegedly appeared in the videos pointing a firearm at the woman’s head to make the kidnapping claim appear genuine.
All suspects linked to the alleged conspiracy have since been arrested.
A search of the premises reportedly led to the recovery of an automatic pump-action gun believed to have been used during the recording of the ransom videos.
Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Monday Agbonika, commended officers involved in the investigation for uncovering the scheme and bringing the suspects to justice.
He reiterated that the command treats every kidnapping report with utmost seriousness and deploys all available resources to rescue victims and apprehend perpetrators.
Agbonika warned against engaging in fake kidnapping plots, stressing that such actions constitute serious criminal offences and divert security resources from genuine victims of crime.
The police also urged members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities to law enforcement authorities and avoid actions capable of causing unnecessary panic or fear within communities.
