Police operatives in the Trans-Ekulu Division of Enugu State have arrested 26-year-old Chibuike Ugwuja for allegedly staging his own abduction and attempting to extort ₦35 million from his family.
The spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Enugu.
According to Ndukwe, the suspect’s father had reported him missing on Nov. 24, after Ugwuja left for work on Nov. 22 and failed to return home. The situation escalated when a female neighbour received a Facebook message purportedly sent by the suspect, claiming he had been kidnapped by unknown men in a commercial bus who were demanding a huge ransom for his release.
Police launched a coordinated search and investigation effort to trace his whereabouts. However, the twist emerged on Nov. 30, at about 2 p.m., when Ugwuja’s father unexpectedly presented him at the police station.
“This followed days of intensified search operations by police operatives who had been working tirelessly to rescue him,” Ndukwe said.
During interrogation, Ugwuja confessed to orchestrating the self-kidnap. He admitted that instead of returning home after work, he went to a friend’s house in Amorji Nike, Enugu, where he hatched the plan and sent the ransom messages.
He reportedly demanded ₦35 million from his family but eventually returned home on Nov. 29, around 9 a.m., after realising the ransom would not be paid.
The suspect told police he took the action out of frustration, alleging his uncle had failed to buy a tricycle (Keke) for him, which he had been expecting.
Ndukwe confirmed that Ugwuja is currently in custody and will be charged to court once investigations are completed.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Giwa, condemned the act as a “regrettable height of criminality” and commended the suspect’s parents for promptly reporting the incident.
The Commissioner also urged the public to always inform security agencies of suspected kidnappings instead of rushing to pay ransoms, noting that swift reporting is crucial for effective law enforcement.