A woman identified as Oluchi has been discovered in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of ₦50 million from her family.
The incident, which initially sparked public sympathy and fundraising efforts, took a dramatic turn after police investigations revealed that the reported abduction was allegedly orchestrated by the woman herself.
According to sources familiar with the case, Oluchi’s family had reported to the police that she was kidnapped around the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. The alleged kidnappers later reduced their ransom demand from ₦50 million to ₦20 million, prompting family members and well-wishers to seek public assistance.
However, investigators reportedly uncovered inconsistencies in the case and traced the phone number of a suspected accomplice to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State.
A source said police operatives stormed the hotel and found Oluchi in the company of a man believed to be her lover.
“The police traced the man’s number to a hotel in Ubiaroko. When they got there, they found both of them together. Her husband was contacted and initially thought she had been rescued. It was later at the police station that he was informed about what had actually happened,” the source disclosed.
The source further claimed that Oluchi pleaded with her husband not to reveal the details of the incident to their children.
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In a video circulating online, her daughter, Anita, who lives in Canada, expressed disappointment and heartbreak over the development.
She explained that the family had genuinely believed Oluchi had been kidnapped and had done everything possible to secure her release.
“My mum has been released, but we were told she was involved in the kidnapping arrangement. I only did what any daughter would do to save her mother. This has shattered my family,” Anita said.
She added that no ransom had been paid and that all funds raised would be refunded.
“We involved the police from the beginning. We now know it wasn’t a real kidnapping. We were told my mum was involved and that she had a relationship with the man. The money raised is intact, and we will refund it,” she stated.
The incident also drew a reaction from the Harmony Ladies Club, a social group Anita belongs to, which said it felt betrayed after members provided emotional, logistical and financial support during what they believed was a genuine kidnapping case.
In a statement, the group expressed shock and disappointment, saying members had rallied around the family in good faith only to discover that the entire incident had allegedly been staged.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, CSP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the incident and disclosed that four suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.
“I can confirm the incident, and four persons have been arrested in connection with it,” she said.
Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.
