by Deborah Nnamdi
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two individuals for staging a fake kidnapping in a failed attempt to extort N10 million from the family of one of the suspects.
According to a statement released on Monday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the suspects — Chinecherem Okonkwo, a 28-year-old female student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), and 30-year-old Chinecherem Aronu — were apprehended at a student lodge in the UNIZIK Temporary Site area of Awka.
Police said the arrest followed an intelligence-led investigation by the Rapid Response Squad after receiving a disturbing report of Okonkwo’s alleged abduction.
“Chinecherem had contacted her family on July 8, 2025, claiming she was on her way home from school. When she failed to arrive and her phone remained unreachable, the family grew concerned,” Ikenga stated.
The following day, the family received a call from an unknown male voice demanding N10 million as ransom. The amount was eventually negotiated down to N3 million, with N1 million paid into the victim’s own bank account.
Police traced the suspects to their hideout where Okonkwo was found alive and in the company of her male accomplice. Under interrogation, the pair confessed to faking the kidnapping as part of a plot to extort money from Okonkwo’s family.
The female suspect reportedly told investigators she got the idea after watching a movie and planned to use the money to help her boyfriend start a business.
Reacting to the incident, Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu condemned the act, describing it as “a disturbing reflection of moral decline among some youths.” He ordered that the suspects be charged to court immediately and warned that the command will not tolerate such criminal deception.
The police further urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s behavior and associations.
