A married woman identified as Oluchi has been found in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own abduction and demanding a ransom of N50 million from her family.
Truth Live News learnt on Monday that the woman’s children, including her daughter based in Canada, had appealed to the public for assistance in raising the ransom, while the alleged kidnappers reportedly reduced their demand from N50 million to N20 million.
The family had earlier informed the police that Oluchi was abducted in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
However, reports indicate that a police investigation later led operatives to Delta State, where the woman was allegedly discovered in a hotel with her lover.
A source familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case, said police traced the man’s phone number to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State.
“The police traced the man’s number to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. They found him and the supposedly kidnapped woman inside the hotel. The husband was contacted and was initially relieved. It was later at the station that the police informed him of what had transpired,” the source said.
The source added that the woman reportedly pleaded with her husband not to disclose the true circumstances of the incident to their children.
A video seen online by Truth Live News on Monday showed her daughter, Anita, expressing shock and disappointment over her mother’s alleged involvement in the scheme.
“My mum has been released. She is involved in this kidnapping case. I only did what I did to save my mother. The family is in shock. This is not right. This has shattered my family,” she said.
Anita added that the development had taken a toll on the family, noting that her father has health challenges.
“My reputation has been ruined. I am short of words. I am so mad. I have no hand in this. I never knew. I only wanted my mother back home. The law will take its course.
“We were told that my mum has been released. We didn’t pay the kidnappers. The money is intact and we are going to make refunds. We involved the police from the beginning.
“We now know it was not a real kidnapping. They said my mum is involved. They are having a relationship. The man was traced. They had agreed to take the money we already raised, which had been reduced to N20 million,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the Harmony Ladies Club, a social group Anita belongs to, has distanced itself from the incident.
In a statement circulated on its WhatsApp platform and seen by Truth Live News, the group expressed disappointment, shock and embarrassment over the alleged deception.
The statement noted that members had rallied around the family by providing emotional, logistical and financial support after learning of the purported abduction.
“It is with a profound sense of betrayal that we have now discovered, through investigations, that the entire kidnapping incident was staged by Mrs Oluchi herself,” part of the statement read.
Confirming the incident, Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said four persons had been arrested in connection with the case.
“I can confirm the incident and also let you know that four people have been arrested in connection with the incident,” she said.