A 16-year-old Senior Secondary School 2 student in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has been apprehended by police for allegedly faking her own kidnapping and demanding a ₦2 million ransom from her family.
The teenager, a native of Izzi Local Government Area, attends a private secondary school on Watchman Street in Abakaliki. She was expected to resume for the third term on Saturday before she staged the hoax.
Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident on Monday, revealing that a family friend helped the girl carry out the fake abduction.
According to police investigations, the girl claimed she went out to buy second-hand clothes, commonly called "Okirika," when she felt a tap from behind and allegedly lost consciousness. She told police she later woke up at Ishieke Junction in Ebonyi Local Government Area.
She further claimed that she often dreams of being kidnapped and that her mother frequently prays against such occurrences.
Rather than return home, she went to a family friend’s house—unaware that she had been declared missing—and used his phone to send a message to her brother, claiming she had been kidnapped and demanding ₦2 million for her release.
When her brother asked to speak with the kidnappers and requested their location, she refused and blocked his number. She later unblocked him and sent an account number belonging to the same family friend.
The plan fell apart when police tracked the phone number used to send the messages. Officers raided the residence, arrested all those involved, and launched a full investigation into the incident.
The police spokesperson confirmed that the girl has been reunited with her family but noted that the investigation is ongoing, particularly due to her age.
ADEOLA KUNLE
