The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested two friends for allegedly staging a kidnapping and demanding a N30m ransom from the father of one of them.
The suspects were identified as Fortune Onuoha and his friend, Godspower Nkwo, popularly known as Hulk.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abakaliki.
According to Ukandu, the incident was reported on October 31, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m., when Onuoha’s father contacted the command’s control room to report that his son had allegedly been abducted from his hostel in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.
The complainant also informed the police that he had received view-once videos and voice notes showing his son tied up, alongside a ransom demand of N30m from the purported kidnappers.
The abductors reportedly threatened to kill the victim if the money was not paid.
Following the report, the police command deployed operatives to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and identify those responsible.
Ukandu said sustained surveillance and discreet investigations eventually led to a breakthrough on November 5, 2026, when operatives arrested the two suspects as they emerged from the room where they had allegedly been hiding.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs Urunwa Okafor, warned members of the public against staging kidnappings or making false claims of abduction.
She described the act as criminal, noting that such schemes inflict emotional trauma on parents, guardians and other family members while diverting police personnel and resources from addressing genuine security threats.
The commissioner stressed that staging kidnappings and making false abduction claims were offences punishable under the law.
She urged residents to shun criminal activities and embrace lawful means of resolving personal challenges.
