The Ebonyi State Police Command has uncovered a case of self-kidnapping involving a 16-year-old Senior Secondary School (SS2) student who allegedly staged her own abduction and demanded a ransom of N2 million.
Spokesperson of the Command, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed the development to journalists on Monday in Abakaliki.
He said the teenager, a student of a private secondary school on Watchman Street, conspired with a family friend to orchestrate the fake kidnapping.
InfoStride News gathered that the girl, who hails from Izzi Local Government Area, was expected to resume school for the third term on Saturday before the incident occurred.
According to police findings, the girl claimed she had gone to purchase second-hand clothes, known locally as Okirika, when someone tapped her from behind and she lost consciousness. She alleged that she regained consciousness the following day at Ishieke Junction in Ebonyi Local Government Area.
Rather than return home, she reportedly went to the residence of a family friend—who was unaware she was missing—and used his phone to message her brother, claiming she had been kidnapped and demanding a N2 million ransom for her release.
Her brother requested to speak with the alleged abductors and asked for their location, but she refused and subsequently blocked his number. She later unblocked him and sent an account number belonging to the family friend for the ransom payment.
The suspicious activity led to police tracking the phone, resulting in a raid of the residence and the arrest of all individuals connected to the plot.
Ukandu confirmed that the teenager has been reunited with her family. However, a full investigation is ongoing, taking into account her age and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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