The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has recently apprehended a pregnant woman on suspicion of orchestrating her own kidnapping and extorting N2 million from her husband.
Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, disclosed the arrest on Wednesday, stating that the suspect was apprehended following a complaint lodged by her husband, Chiedozie Ubah.
According to Igweh, on March 11, Chiedozie Ubah reported at the Dei-Dei police station in Abuja that his pregnant wife had left for a hospital appointment but failed to return home.
Shortly thereafter, Mr. Ubah received a distressing call from his wife, claiming she had been kidnapped and that her captors were demanding a ransom of N2 million for her release.
Out of concern for his wife’s safety, Mr. Ubah complied with the ransom demand and transferred N2 million into his wife’s bank account as instructed.
Upon her supposed release, he reunited with his wife and subsequently brought her to the police station.
However, during interrogation, the truth unraveled as the woman confessed to orchestrating the fake kidnapping scheme alongside a man identified as Walter Ezeala, who resides in their neighborhood.
Further investigations revealed that Walter Ezeala had received N800,000 from the ransom money, while the woman had pocketed the remaining balance of N1.2 million.
The police recovered a sum of N793,500 in cash, two FCMB ATM cards, and two Android phones from the culprits.
Both suspects are currently in police custody, and charges are expected to be filed against them for conspiracy, fraud, and extortion.
The statement reads;
“He later received a call through his wife’s phone number telling him that his wife had been kidnapped and demanded for two (2) million naira ransom before her release. He transferred the sum of two (2) million naira into his wife’s account as instructed by the kidnapper.
He later brought his wife to the station after her release. During interrogation, the wife freely confessed to have conspired with one man named Walter Ezeala ‘m’ living in the same street with them at Saburi to extort money from her husband.
The said Walter was arrested, and he confessed that his own share was eight hundred thousand (N800,000) naira and the lady took one million two hundred thousand naira (N1,200,000). The sum of Seven hundred and ninety-three thousand five-hundred-naira (N793,500) cash, two (2) FCMB ATM cards and two android phone was recovered from them.”