In a surprising turn of events, police in Edo State have apprehended Blessing Ogunu, a young woman accused of orchestrating her own abduction in a bid to extort a hefty ransom.
Beyond Boders reports that the 24-year-old, identified as a staff member of Bliss Legacy Limited, a prominent real estate company based in Benin City, was arrested alongside two accomplices, Esther Anthony and Ukpebor Joel, both suspected to be involved in the scheme.
Chidi Nwabuzor, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, revealed that Ogunu allegedly devised a plan to fake her own kidnapping and demanded a ransom of 4.8 million naira for her release.
The elaborate hoax was uncovered following a report filed by Samuel Prince Omomuzo, a concerned citizen residing at No. 102 Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City.
Omomuzo, also an employee of Bliss Legacy Limited, informed authorities that Ogunu had been kidnapped within the city, prompting the demand for the substantial ransom.
Upon receiving the report, the Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Unit swiftly launched an investigation into the matter.
During the course of interrogation, Ogunu eventually confessed to fabricating her abduction, citing a dispute with her employer as the motive behind her actions.
Allegedly, Ogunu claimed that she engineered the fake kidnapping because her company had reneged on a promise to allocate land to a customer who had already made a substantial payment.
