The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two students who allegedly staged a fake kidnapping to extort money from one of their families.
The suspects, Chinecherem Okonkwo, a 28-year-old student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and her 30-year-old accomplice, Chinecherem Aronu, reportedly faked Okonkwo’s abduction and demanded a ransom of ₦10 million from her family using a disguised voice.
According to a statement released Monday by police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga, officers from the Rapid Response Squad traced the suspects to a lodge at UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, where Okonkwo was found safe in the company of Aronu.
Police investigations revealed that Okonkwo had told her family she was returning home on July 8, 2025, but failed to arrive.
The next day, her relatives received a call from a man claiming she had been kidnapped, demanding a ₦10 million ransom.
The amount was later reduced to ₦3 million, and ₦1 million was paid into Okonkwo’s own bank account.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted to faking the abduction. Okonkwo confessed she got the idea from a movie and planned to give the ransom to her boyfriend to start a business.
Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu condemned the act, calling it a disturbing reflection of declining moral values among youth.
He directed that the suspects be charged in court immediately and urged parents to monitor their children’s behavior and social circles more closely.