In a bizarre twist that has stunned both law enforcement and the public, a 16-year-old secondary school student in Ebonyi State orchestrated her own kidnapping in a calculated bid to extort ₦2 million from her unsuspecting family.
The teenager, an SS2 student at a private school on Watchman Street in Abakaliki, allegedly conspired with a family friend to execute the staged abduction, according to the Ebonyi State Police Command.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu, in a statement issued Monday, revealed that the girl—originally from Izzi Local Government Area—was expected to resume school for the third term on Saturday when the sinister plot unfolded.
Instead of returning to school, she reportedly used a family friend’s phone to contact her elder brother, claiming she had been kidnapped. In the chilling message, she demanded a ₦2 million ransom to secure her release. When her brother tried to negotiate by requesting to speak with the “kidnappers” or obtain a location, she cut him off and blocked his number. She later sent a bank account number—belonging to the co-conspirator—insisting the ransom be paid there.
Suspicions grew, prompting the family to alert the police. Detectives quickly traced the phone number. The police said the phone used to send the messages was traced, leading to a raid on the house where she was hiding. All individuals involved were arrested.
Ukandu confirmed that a full investigation is ongoing, though the girl has been reunited with her family.
However, due to her age, authorities are treating the matter delicately, but legal steps may follow based on the outcome of the probe.
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