A woman identified as Oluchi has been found in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own abduction and demanding a ransom of N50 million from her family.
The incident, which initially sparked public sympathy and fundraising efforts, took a dramatic turn following a police investigation that uncovered the alleged deception.
According to reports, Oluchi’s children, including her daughter Anita who resides in Canada, had appealed to the public for financial assistance after receiving information that she had been kidnapped. The family claimed she was abducted around the Ikpoba-Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area in Edo State.
The supposed kidnappers were said to have initially demanded N50 million before later reducing the ransom to N20 million. As the family struggled to secure her release, the matter was reported to the police.
However, investigations by police operatives reportedly traced the phone number linked to one of the suspects to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. Officers subsequently stormed the hotel and allegedly found Oluchi staying there with a male companion believed to be her lover.
A source familiar with the investigation said the woman’s husband was invited to the police station after she was found. The source added that Oluchi allegedly pleaded with her husband not to disclose the true circumstances of the incident to their children.
Reacting in an emotional video shared online, Anita expressed shock and disappointment over the revelation, insisting that she had acted solely out of concern for her mother’s safety.
“My mum has been released. We have now been told that she was involved in the kidnapping case. I only did what any daughter would do to save her mother. My family is in shock and completely shattered by this development,” she said.
Anita also disclosed that no ransom was paid and that all funds raised for the purported rescue remained intact. She assured donors that refunds would be made.
“We involved the police from the beginning. We now know it was not a real kidnapping. We have been told that my mum was involved and that she was found with a man she was having a relationship with. The law will take its course,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Harmony Ladies Club, a social organization to which Anita belongs, has distanced itself from the incident. In a statement circulated on its WhatsApp platform, the club expressed disappointment and a sense of betrayal over the alleged staged abduction.
The group said its members had mobilized emotional, logistical and financial support after learning of the alleged kidnapping, only to later discover through investigations that the incident was allegedly orchestrated by Oluchi herself.
“It is with deep disappointment, shock and embarrassment that we learned the kidnapping was allegedly staged. Our members acted in good faith and stood by the family during what we believed was a genuine life-threatening situation,” the statement read.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, CSP Moses Yamu, said four suspects have been arrested in connection with the case.
“I can confirm the incident and also inform you that four persons have been arrested in connection with the matter,” the police spokesperson said.
Police investigations into the incident are ongoing.
