The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two individuals for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping in a bid to extort ₦10 million from a family.
The suspects, Chinecherem Okonkwo, a 28-year-old female student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), and 30-year-old Chinecherem Aronu, were apprehended by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.
Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, announced the arrests in a statement released Monday 21 July, 2025. According to the police, Okonkwo had informed her family on July 8, 2025, that she was returning home from school but never arrived, and her phone was switched off. The next day, an unidentified male called her family, claiming she had been abducted and demanded a ₦10 million ransom for her release. Following negotiations, the ransom was reduced to ₦3 million, with ₦1 million paid into Okonkwo’s own bank account.
Acting on intelligence, officers raided a lodge at UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, where Okonkwo and her alleged accomplice, Aronu, were found together. During interrogation, both suspects reportedly confessed to orchestrating the fake abduction. Okonkwo admitted she conceived the idea—reportedly inspired by a movie—as a way to raise money for Aronu to start a business.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, described the act as a reflection of “growing moral decay among some youths.” He ordered that the suspects be charged to court without delay and reiterated the Command’s zero tolerance for criminal deception.
He also urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children’s behavior and social circles. The Command reaffirmed its dedication to combating crime and called on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to help safeguard communities across Anambra State.
