A married woman named Oluchi was found in a Delta State hotel after faking her abduction and demanding N50 million from her family.
The woman’s children, including her daughter in Canada, had pleaded with the public to assist them in raising funds even as the kidnappers decreased the ransom to N20 million.
They reported to the police that their mother had been kidnapped in the Ikpoba Hill region of Edo State’s Ikpoba-Okha LGA.
However, the police inquiry took its crack team to Delta State, where the alleged kidnapped woman was discovered with her lover at a hotel.
A source said, “Police traced the number of the man to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. They met the man and the kidnapped woman inside a hotel. They called the husband, and he was happy. It was at the station that the police broke the news to him. The wife begged the husband not to tell her children what actually transpired.”
In a video online, her daughter, Anita, who is based in Canada, said her mum’s action has shattered the family. She vowed that the family would allow the law to take its course.
According to her, “My mum has been released. My mum is involved in this kidnapping case. I only did what I did to save my mom. The family is in shock. This is not right. This has shattered my family. My dad has some health issues. This is so unfortunate. What did I do wrong?
“My reputation has been ruined. I am short of words. I am so mad. I have no hand in this. I never knew. I only wanted my mother back home. The law will take its course. I am sorry this is happening. I only did what any daughter would do. My family has been shattered.
“We were told that my mum has been released. We didn’t pay the kidnappers. The money is intact. We are going to make a refund. We involved the police from the beginning. We now know it was not a real kidnapping. They said my mom is involved. They are having a relationship. The guy was traced. They had agreed to take what we already raised to N20m.”
Anita’s social organisation, the Harmony Ladies organisation, issued a statement on its WhatsApp group and distributed it to journalists, dissociating itself from the faked kidnapping.
It expressed profound sadness, outrage, and humiliation over Mrs Oluchi’s actions.
The statement read, “When news of her alleged abduction broke, the club acted swiftly in good faith. Out of sisterhood, love, and a sense of community responsibility, we rallied immediately.
“Our members provided extensive emotional, logistical, and financial support during what we believed was a life-threatening crisis, carrying the heavy burden of anxiety alongside her family.
“It is with a profound sense of betrayal that we have now discovered, through investigations, that the entire kidnapping incident was staged by Mrs Oluchi herself.”
Edo Police spokesman Eno Ikoedem confirmed the event and said four people had been arrested in connection with it.
She added, “I can confirm the incident and also let you know that four people have also been arrested in connection with the incident.”
