A disturbing case of self-abduction has stunned residents of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, after a 16-year-old SS2 student faked her own kidnapping and demanded ₦2 million ransom from her family. The Ebonyi State Police Command confirmed the incident on Monday, May 13, 2025, revealing that the teenager was aided by a family friend in executing the hoax.
According to Police Public Relations Officer SP Joshua Ukandu, the girl, who attends a private secondary school located along Watchman Street, pretended to have been abducted and used a borrowed phone to contact her elder brother. Claiming to be in captivity, she insisted that the ransom be paid into the account of the man harboring her, who was unaware of the plot.
The teenager, a native of Izzi Local Government Area, was due to return to school for the third term on Saturday, but instead allegedly staged the fake abduction after going to buy second-hand clothes—popularly known as okirika. She claimed she was “tapped from behind,” lost consciousness, and later found herself at Ishieke Junction in a neighboring local government area.
Police investigations later revealed that rather than being kidnapped, she had willingly gone to stay at the house of a family friend, where she used his phone to demand ransom from her brother. When her brother asked to speak to the supposed kidnappers and requested their location, she refused and blocked his number. Hours later, she unblocked him and sent a bank account for payment, which helped authorities track her location.
The police raided the house, arrested those involved, and launched a full investigation. SP Ukandu stated that the minor has since been reunited with her family, but further inquiries are ongoing due to the implications of the incident and her age.
Psychologists and security experts have since weighed in, calling for increased mental health support, counseling in schools, and awareness among parents about the pressures teenagers face. Authorities also urged the public to desist from such dangerous stunts, warning that false reports waste critical law enforcement resources and may carry serious legal consequences.
The case has sparked conversations across social media, with many questioning the deeper societal issues pushing teenagers toward such extremes. The Ebonyi State Police Command has assured the public that it remains committed to unraveling the full extent of the incident.
