Crime

Two Students Arrested for Staging Their Own Kidnapping in Anambra

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 21st, 2025.

Two Students Arrested for Staging Their Own Kidnapping in Anambra

The police in Anambra State have apprehended two individuals suspected of orchestrating a fake kidnapping in an attempt to extort money within the state.

The suspects, identified as 28-year-old female student Chinecherem Okonkwo from Enugu State University of Science and Technology and 30-year-old Chinecherem Aronu, allegedly faked the abduction and used a disguised voice to demand a ransom of ₦10 million from the victim’s family.

This information was shared in a statement released on Monday by SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson for Anambra State.

According to Ikenga, officers from the Rapid Response Squad, acting on intelligence, responded to reports of the supposed abduction of a female student. The suspects were located and arrested at a lodge within the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka.

The statement explained, “The Anambra State Police Command successfully arrested two individuals involved in a staged kidnapping designed to extort funds from the victim’s relatives.

“The suspects, Chinecherem Okonkwo (female, 28 years) and Chinecherem Aronu (male, 30 years), were apprehended following an investigation into the reported disappearance of Chinecherem Nwaokoye, a student of ESUT.”

It was reported that on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, Nwaokoye informed her family she was heading home from school but never arrived. Her phone was unreachable all day. The following day, the family received a ransom call from a disguised male voice demanding ₦10 million. After negotiations, the amount was lowered to ₦3 million, with an initial payment of ₦1 million made to the victim’s bank account.

Upon questioning, the suspects confessed to fabricating the kidnapping. Nwaokoye revealed she had conceived the plan after being inspired by a movie, intending to use the money to support her boyfriend’s business venture.

The Police Commissioner, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has ordered that the suspects be promptly prosecuted and condemned their actions as indicative of growing moral issues among some youths. He further urged parents and guardians to be vigilant about their children’s influences and activities.