A married woman identified as Oluchi has been found in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ₦50 million ransom from her family.
According to reports, Oluchi’s children — including her daughter Anita, who lives in Canada — had appealed publicly for financial support to secure her release after claiming she had been abducted in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area. The supposed kidnappers later reduced the ransom demand to ₦20 million.
However, a police investigation reportedly tracked one of the suspects to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State, where officers discovered Oluchi staying with her alleged lover. Sources said police later informed her husband, who had initially believed the kidnapping story.
In an emotional online video, Anita expressed shock and heartbreak over the incident, saying the revelation had shattered the family and damaged her reputation. She insisted she acted only to save her mother and confirmed that no ransom money had been paid. She also stated that all funds raised would be refunded and that the family would allow the law to take its course.
A women’s association known as the Harmony Ladies Club, which had supported fundraising efforts during the alleged abduction, also released a statement distancing itself from the incident. The group described the situation as a profound betrayal after members had provided emotional, financial, and logistical support believing Oluchi was in danger.
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in Edo State, Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the case and disclosed that four people had been arrested in connection with the alleged staged kidnapping.
