A woman identified as Oluchi has been arrested after allegedly staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of ₦50 million from her family, only to be found in a hotel with her lover in Delta State.
The incident, which initially sparked sympathy and a fundraising campaign among relatives and well-wishers, took a dramatic turn after police investigations uncovered what authorities now believe was a carefully planned hoax.
Family members had earlier reported that Oluchi was abducted around the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area in Edo State. Her children, including a daughter based in Canada, publicly appealed for help as the supposed kidnappers reportedly reduced their ransom demand from ₦50 million to ₦20 million.
However, police detectives tracking the case reportedly traced a suspect’s phone number to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. Officers who stormed the location allegedly found Oluchi and a man believed to be her lover together inside the hotel.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the woman’s husband was contacted after the discovery and informed that his wife had been located safely.
“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 source said.
The source further alleged that Oluchi pleaded with her husband not to reveal the true circumstances of the incident to their children.
Reacting in an emotional video, Oluchi’s daughter, Anita, who lives in Canada, said the revelation had left the family devastated. She maintained that she acted in good faith and only wanted to ensure her mother’s safe return.
“My mum has been released. She is involved in this kidnapping case. I only did what I did to save my mum. The family is in shock. This is not right. This has shattered my family,” she said.
Anita disclosed that no ransom payment was eventually made and that all funds raised for the supposed rescue effort remain intact. She also promised that any money contributed by supporters would be refunded.
“We now know it was not a real kidnapping. They said my mum is involved. They are having a relationship. The guy was traced. They had agreed to take what we already raised to ₦20 million,” she added.
The controversy also drew a reaction from the Harmony Ladies Club, a social group to which Anita belongs. In a statement circulated on its WhatsApp platform, the organisation distanced itself from the incident and expressed disappointment over the alleged deception.
The club said members had offered emotional, logistical and financial support after hearing about the reported abduction, only to later discover that the incident was allegedly staged.
“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,” the statement read.
Confirming the development, Edo State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Eno Ikoedem, said four persons have been arrested in connection with the case.
“I can confirm the incident and also let you know that four people have been arrested in connection with the incident,” she stated.
Police investigations are ongoing.
