The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 17-year-old girl for allegedly faking her own kidnap and collecting a ransom of N500,000 from her mother.
The State Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, confirmed the arrest through the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, who shared details of the case in a video posted on his Facebook page.
The suspect, identified as Chiamaka, is an SSS 3 student. As of the time of filing this report, she remains in police custody along with three of her friends who were said to be involved in the incident.
According to the police, the teenager and her friends planned the fake kidnap in order to extort money from her mother, who is a widow and a peasant farmer.
In her confession, Chiamaka admitted to taking part in the plan.
“Me and my friends planned to kidnap myself and collect money from my mother,” she said.
She claimed that the three friends, whom she said she recently met, pressured her into committing the crime.
“I didn’t want to do that. It’s because of my friends, they forced me to do it,” she added.
The police said the group left Ugolo community in Delta State and travelled to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where they lodged in a hotel. From there, Chiamaka reportedly called her mother and claimed she had been kidnapped.
She then demanded a ransom of N500,000 for her release.
SP Edafe explained that the mother, who has limited financial resources, was thrown into panic after receiving the call. Out of fear for her daughter’s safety, she began to look for money.
According to the police spokesperson, the woman went around borrowing and gathering funds from relatives, neighbours and other members of her community in order to raise the ransom.
During the process, she reported the alleged kidnap to the police.
“Her mother, who is a widow and of modest means, went around collecting the money to secure her release,” Edafe said.
However, police investigations later showed that the incident was not a real kidnap.
Officers traced phone calls and other details, which led to the discovery that the girl was not being held by kidnappers. Instead, she was in a hotel with her friends.
The police later arrested Chiamaka and her accomplices.
According to her statement, the N500,000 collected from her mother was spent on buying clothes.
“The money, N500,000, we used it to buy clothes,” she confessed.
SP Edafe described the case as troubling and said it reflects a worrying trend among some young people.
He noted that cases involving staged kidnappings have become more common in recent years, especially among youths between the ages of 15 and 20.
“In this instance, the 17-year-old said one of her friends had previously done the same to her mother, kidnapping themselves to extort money. She and her friends decided to replicate the same scheme,” he said.
Kidnapping has been a major security challenge in Nigeria for more than a decade. Criminal gangs have targeted travellers, students, farmers and residents in both urban and rural areas. Many families have had to pay large sums of money to secure the release of loved ones.
Because of the rising cases of abduction, any report of kidnap is usually treated as a serious emergency by both families and security agencies.
Community leaders in Delta State have also expressed concern about the moral decline among some youths. They say peer pressure, social media influence and the desire for quick money are pushing teenagers into crime.
Parents and teachers have been advised to pay closer attention to the activities and friendships of young people.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Police Command has assured residents that it will continue to investigate the case and ensure that justice is served.
The police also used the opportunity to warn young people against engaging in criminal activities.
They advised youths to avoid bad company and focus on their education and future goals.
For the mother at the centre of the case, the incident has reportedly caused deep emotional pain. What began as a frightening kidnap scare ended with the shocking discovery that her own daughter was behind the scheme.
As investigations continue, many residents hope the case will serve as a strong lesson to other young people who may be tempted to follow a similar path.
