Man, 26, Arrested In Enugu For Staging Kidnap, Demanding Ransom

Police operatives of the Enugu State Command serving in the Trans-Ekulu Division have arrested a 26-year-old male suspect for allegedly staging his kidnap and demanding ₦35,000,000 as ransom from his family.

This was stated by the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Monday.

Ndukwe stated that “The suspect’s father had, on 24th November 2025 at about 4 pm, reported to the division that his son, who works as a private security guard in an estate in Trans-Ekulu, left for work on 22nd November 2025 and failed to return.

“He further disclosed that the suspect sent a Facebook message to their female neighbour, claiming he had been abducted by unknown persons in a commercial bus and that his supposed abductors were demanding ransom.”

Ndukwe said while investigations and efforts to locate and rescue the purported victim were ongoing, the suspect was brought to the police station by his father on 30th November 2025 at about 2 pm. Ndukwe said the operation followed days of intensified search by police operatives, who had been working to trace his whereabouts and rescue him.

According to him, “Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to staging the self-kidnapping. He revealed that after closing from work, he went to the residence of a friend at Amorji Nike, Enugu, rather than returning home, and from there masterminded the false kidnapping.

“He demanded ₦35,000,000 from his family but eventually returned home on 29th November 2025 at about 9 am after his ransom demands were not met, attributing his actions to frustration over his uncle’s alleged inability to procure a tricycle for him.”

It was gathered that the suspect had been taken into custody and would be arraigned in court and prosecuted accordingly once investigations are concluded.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Giwa, has described the incident as a regrettable height of criminality and commended the suspect’s parents for promptly reporting the matter and producing their son, rather than withholding him.

He reassured the public that the law would take its full course and urged citizens to always report suspected cases of kidnapping and cooperate with the police, rather than hastily giving in to ransom demands.