Anambra Student, Boyfriend Arrested for Faking Own Kidnap to Extort N10 Million from Family
In a shocking twist of deception, the Anambra State Police Command has arrested a university student and her boyfriend for allegedly staging her own kidnapping in a bid to extort ₦10 million from her family.
The suspects, identified as Chinecherem Nwaokoye, a 28-year-old undergraduate of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), and her 30-year-old partner, Chinecherem Aronu, were apprehended by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) following an intelligence-led operation.
Police spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga revealed that the arrest stemmed from a report filed on July 8, 2025, when Nwaokoye’s family reported her missing after she failed to return home from school and became unreachable.
Just a day later, on July 9, the family received a distressing phone call from a man claiming to have abducted Nwaokoye. The caller demanded a ₦10 million ransom for her release. After negotiation, the amount was reduced to ₦3 million, with ₦1 million paid directly into the student’s personal bank account.
Acting swiftly on intelligence, police tracked the suspects to a lodge near the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, where the so-called victim was discovered safe and shockingly, in the company of her alleged abductor.
During interrogation, the duo confessed to fabricating the kidnapping as part of a scheme to raise funds for Aronu to launch a business. Nwaokoye reportedly admitted that she got the idea after watching a movie with a similar plot.
“She masterminded the plot and convinced her boyfriend to collaborate. The plan was to extort her own family to secure seed money for a business,” Ikenga said.
Reacting to the incident, Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu condemned the act, describing it as a troubling sign of “moral decay and criminal ingenuity” among some Nigerian youths. He ordered immediate prosecution of the suspects and warned that the command would not tolerate such acts of deception.
This incident is just the latest in a worrying trend of self-orchestrated abductions across Nigeria. In previous cases, students have faked kidnappings to demand money for travel or personal gain.
Security experts warn that the romanticization of crime in movies and on social media, paired with economic hardship and poor moral guidance, is fueling a rise in such incidents.
The police have urged the public to remain vigilant, report suspicious behavior promptly, and continue to support law enforcement efforts to root out criminal innovation.
