A married woman identified as Oluchi has been found in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of N50 million from her family.
The incident, which initially sparked widespread concern and fundraising efforts, took a dramatic turn after police investigations reportedly revealed that the alleged victim was not abducted but had been staying in a hotel with her lover.
Family members, including her daughter Anita, who lives in Canada, had appealed to the public for financial assistance to secure her release. According to the family, the supposed kidnappers had initially demanded N50 million before reducing the ransom to N20 million.
The family had reported to the police that Oluchi was kidnapped in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
However, investigators traced the case to Delta State, where the woman was reportedly discovered in a hotel in Ubiaroko alongside a male companion.
A source familiar with the investigation said police tracked the suspect’s phone number to the hotel.
“Police traced the number of the man to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. They found both the man and the woman in the hotel. The husband was contacted and initially expressed relief that his wife had been found. It was later at the police station that he was informed of what investigators had uncovered,” the source said.
According to the source, the woman reportedly pleaded with her husband not to disclose the circumstances of the case to their children.
Reacting to the development in a video posted online, Anita expressed shock and disappointment, saying the revelation had devastated the family.
She said she had mobilised support and appealed publicly only because she genuinely believed her mother had been kidnapped.
“My mum has been released, but we have now been told she was involved in the kidnapping arrangement. The family is in shock. This has shattered my family,” she said.
Anita added that no ransom was paid and that all funds raised during the campaign remained intact and would be refunded to donors.
“We involved the police from the beginning. We now know it was not a real kidnapping. The law will take its course,” she said.
The incident has also drawn a reaction from the Harmony Ladies Club, a social group to which Anita belongs.
In a statement circulated on the group’s WhatsApp platform and made available to journalists, the club distanced itself from the alleged scheme and expressed disappointment over the outcome of the investigation.
The group said its members had provided emotional, logistical, and financial support during what they believed was a genuine kidnapping case.
“It is with a profound sense of betrayal that we have now discovered, through investigations, that the entire kidnapping incident was allegedly staged by Mrs. Oluchi herself,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command has confirmed the incident.
Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem said four suspects 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 matter,” she said.
Police have yet to disclose the identities of the other suspects or the specific charges they may face as investigations continue.
