The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 54-year-old woman, identified as Umadi, for allegedly staging her own abduction in a bid to extort N15 million from her younger brother.
The case was initially reported as a suspected kidnapping at the Ogwashi-Uku Police Division on October 23, 2026, prompting the Commissioner of Police to direct operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Ubuluku, to investigate and ensure the woman’s rescue .
According to the police, the woman pretended to leave her home to buy medication before calling her younger brother to claim she had been kidnapped .
She told him that her abductors were demanding N15 million as ransom and that they would kill her if the money was not paid .
The brother, who initially believed she was genuinely in danger, reported the matter to the police, triggering an intelligence-led investigation.
The investigation, however, uncovered that the alleged abduction was fabricated by the woman herself as part of an attempt to extort money from her family .
Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, expressed shock at the development, noting that previous cases of staged abductions known to the command had largely involved teenagers and young people.
“In the past, we have heard of cases of self-kidnap, fake kidnap that was done by underage or, let me say, teenagers 15, 16, 17 to 20, but we have never had a case that involved a 54-year-old elderly woman,” Edafe said .
“It is quite unfortunate that she faked her own kidnap because she wanted to extort her younger brother a sum of ₦15 million.”
During interrogation, the suspect admitted to arranging the fake abduction and contacting her younger brother with the ransom demand.
She claimed she needed the money to treat an ailment affecting her leg, and she blamed the devil for her actions .
The police spokesperson said the woman also admitted telling her brother that the supposed kidnappers would kill her if the money was not paid. When asked why she put her family member through such distress despite acknowledging that he had not treated her badly, she struggled to provide a convincing explanation .
Edafe disclosed that investigators suspected the woman did not act alone, revealing that some individuals allegedly involved in the conspiracy had been identified and were being tracked for arrest.
“Some of the people she conspired with were seen on their trail because obviously she didn’t do it alone, and we are definitely going to arrest them,” Edafe said .
The police commended the brother for reporting the incident promptly, stressing the importance of alerting security agencies whenever relatives receive kidnapping threats or ransom demands.
The command warned members of the public to desist from raising false alarms and staging criminal incidents for financial gain, stressing that those found culpable would be prosecuted according to the law .
The suspect is expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
