The Ebonyi state Police command has arrested a man, Ajah Ikechukwu, for allegedly staging his own kidnap and demanding N25 million ransom from his family.
The suspect, a native of Ngwogwo Community, Ishiagu, in Ivo Local Government Area of the state, allegedly went into hiding on August 10, 2026, before contacting his family and falsely claiming that he had been kidnapped.
According to the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi state command, CP Hope Urunwa Okafor, the suspect subsequently demanded N25 million as ransom from his family.
The police boss disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Abakaliki, where he presented the operational achievements of the Command from April 2026 to date.
Okafor said acting on the suspect’s demand, his family transferred N1 million into the bank account he provided.
He, however, said diligent investigation and intelligence gathering by operatives of the Command eventually led to the arrest of Ajah.
According to her, the suspect confessed during interrogation that he had orchestrated the purported kidnapping and ransom demand.
The Commissioner warned that staging kidnappings and extorting unsuspecting family members under false pretences were serious criminal offences that would be investigated and prosecuted.
He said the arrest formed part of the Command’s wider efforts to combat kidnapping, violent crimes and other forms of criminality across Ebonyi State.
The CP said the Command would continue to deploy intelligence-led policing and other proactive strategies to identify and apprehend criminal elements, while urging members of the public to provide timely and credible information on suspicious activities.
