A married woman identified as Oluchi has been found in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own abduction and demanding a ransom of N50 million from her family.
Her children, including a daughter based in Canada, had earlier appealed to the public for assistance in raising funds after the supposed kidnappers reportedly reduced the ransom demand to N20 million.
The family had informed the police that Oluchi was abducted around the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
However, police investigations led operatives to Delta State, where the woman was reportedly discovered in a hotel with her lover.
A source familiar with the investigation said police tracked the suspect’s phone number to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State, where both the man and the woman were found.
According to the source, the woman’s husband was later contacted by the police and informed that his wife had been located. The source further disclosed that the woman pleaded with her husband not to reveal the circumstances surrounding the incident to their children.
In a video shared online, her daughter, Anita, who lives in Canada, expressed shock and disappointment over the development, describing the incident as devastating for the family.
Anita said her mother had been released and that investigators informed the family she was involved in orchestrating the alleged kidnapping.
She explained that the family had acted solely out of concern for her safety and had no knowledge that the abduction claim was false.
The daughter added that the incident had caused emotional distress to the family, particularly her father, who is reportedly dealing with health challenges.
She also stated that no ransom was paid and that all funds raised would be refunded, noting that the police had been involved in the matter from the outset.
According to her, investigations revealed that her mother and the man found with her were in a relationship and had allegedly planned to collect the money raised by family members and sympathisers.
Meanwhile, the Harmony Ladies Club, a group to which Anita belongs, distanced itself from the incident in a statement circulated on its WhatsApp platform and shared with journalists.
The organisation said it acted in good faith when news of the alleged abduction emerged, providing emotional, logistical and financial support to the family during what members believed was a genuine crisis.
The club expressed disappointment over the outcome of the investigation, stating that members felt betrayed after learning that the alleged kidnapping had reportedly been staged.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, said four persons had been arrested in connection with the case and that investigations were ongoing.
(Punch)
