The Police Command in Enugu State says it has arrested a 26-year-old man, Chibuike Joshua Ugwuja, for allegedly faking his own kidnap and demanding N35 million ransom from his family.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Enugu.
Ndukwe said Ugwuja, a private security guard working in an estate in Trans-Ekulu, was reported missing on Nov. 24 by his father, who told the Trans-Ekulu Police Division that his son left for work two days earlier and did not return.
He said police investigations revealed that the suspect had also sent a message via Facebook to a female neighbour, claiming he had been abducted by unknown gunmen while travelling in a commercial bus and that his supposed captors were demanding ransom.
“While investigations were ongoing, the suspect was produced by his father after days of rigorous search efforts by our operatives,” he said.
The spokesperson said that upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to staging the kidnapping.
“Ugwuja admitted to staging the kidnap and demanding N35,000,000 from his family,” Ndukwe said.
He said the suspect disclosed that he had gone to stay with a friend in Amorji Nike, Enugu, after closing from work, from where he coordinated the false kidnap claim.
Ndukwe said the suspect told police he decided to return home on Nov. 29 after realising that his family could not raise the demanded ransom.
He quoted the suspect as saying he acted out of frustration over his uncle’s alleged failure to buy him a tricycle.
The spokesperson said the suspect would be charged to court upon the completion of investigations.
