Woman fakes own kidnap, demands N3m ransom from church members

A 32-year-old woman, Mrs. Victoria Ndu has been arrested for faking her own kidnap by the police in Akwa Ibom State.

Ndu was rearrested the same day she was rescued by men of the anti-kidnapping squad in Awommama in Imo State on August 24 .

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Chukwu Ikechukwu, said in Uyo on Monday

 “Victoria’s husband had, on August 16, reported to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Nsit Atai that his wife had been kidnapped. He told the police that his wife told him that she was going to the market that day.
“But Nsit Atai lacked the jurisdiction to handle kidnap matters. The case was subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.
“They traced the calls used in contacting the church members and demand for N3m ransom to Awommama in Imo State. That was how the men of the anti-kidnapping unit swung into action and tracked down the suspects and rescued them.
“It was while Ndu was being interrogated at the anti- kidnapping unit that she confessed that she actually masterminded her own kidnap. That was how she and her brother were arrested. The brother was arrested because both of them conspired to fake the crime.
“What you are seeing here today is to serve as a deterrent to people who may be planning to go into this kind of crime. Police in Akwa Ibom are doing everything possible to ensure that crime in the state is reduced to the barest minimum.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zubairu Muazu, therefore appeals to members of the public to provide useful information that will help us to achieve that and serve them better.”

Ndu, who lamented her suffering after 10 years of marriage without a child, said,

“We are orphans from very poor background. I only did what I did to help my family bury our parents.
“Our father died in 2008, but we did not conduct any burial ceremony for him. In April this year, our mother also died, but since then, she has not been buried because of no money.
“We wanted to conduct burial for both of them.”