A 16-year-old female SS 2 student (name withheld) of a privately owned secondary school situated at Watchman street in Abakaliki Ebonyi State capital has allegedly faked her own kidnap and demanded two million naira ransom from her family.
Briefing journalists in Abakaliki on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu disclosed that the teenage student allegedly carried out the plan with support from one of the their family friends.
The PPRO explained that, “The girl is 16 years old. She is SS2 student of a privately owned secondary school situated in Watchman street Abakaliki Ebonyi State. She is a native of Izzi local government area. She was supposed to go back to her school hostel on Saturday in preparation for third term resumption. She told Police that she went to buy clothes at the market when suddenly an unknown person who just came down from a Jeep tapped her from behind. According to her, she lost consciousness of any other thing that happened till the following day which was Sunday at Ishieke junction.
“Meanwhile she said she had always been dreaming where she was kidnapped. So, when that happens, she will tell her mother and they will pray for her. So, at Ishieke junction, having regained consciousness, she started asking people where she was and how she could get to Abakaliki town.
“According to the teenage student, on getting to town, she decided to go to house of one of their family friends who was not aware of her missing. With the man’s phone, she chatted her brother and told him that she was kidnapped and that they (her family) will pay two million naira ransom before her release. So, the brother requested that she give the phone to those that kidnapped her so that he can bargain with them and know the location to bring the ransom but she refused and blocked his brother’s line.
“After some time, the brother now requested that an account number be forwarded to the family for digital transfer of the two million naira ransom. Before you know it, the girl collected and sent account number of the same family friend hosting her and same person she was using his phone to chat the family to fake her own kidnap. With those evidences, the family alerted the police who stormed his house and arrested them.
“We are still investigating just to be sure because there were other people in that house that night. She slept there one night and the next one while she was going out to buy something her family members who were already suspicious and laying ambush there saw her and the police arrested them. We are still investigating particularly concerning that their family friend who harboured her, gave her phone and account number to receive ransom.
“She is already reunited with her family but police is still investigating the matter considering her age. We also arrested that Edozie whose account number she wanted to use and collect the two million naira ransom.”