July 21, 2025

The Police Command in Anambra has arrested two suspects allegedly involved in a self-orchestrated kidnap designed to extort money from the victim’s own family.

The Command Spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga made this known in a statement on Monday in Awka.

Ikenga said the suspects are a 28 year-old lady, Chinecherem Nwokoye and her 30 year-old boy friend, Chinecherem Aronu.

He said Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) acting on report of the alleged kidnap of the lady who is a student female of Enugu State University, stormed a lodge located at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University temporary site, Awka, where the victim was found in the company of her male accomplice.

According to him, Nwokoye had earlier contacted her family on July 8, informing them that she was returning home from school but never arrived.

He said her phone remained switched off throughout that day but on July 9, her family received a call from an unknown male voice who claimed responsibility for her kidnap and demanded a ransom of N10 million.

After negotiations, the ransom was reduced to N3 million and a part payment of N1 million was later paid.

“The female suspect, Nwokoye, admitted she masterminded the plan after watching a movie and intended to give the money to her boyfriend to start a business,” Ikenga said.

The police spokesman said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed that the suspects be charged to court without delay and condemned the incident as a clear sign of deepening moral decay among some youths in the society.

Orutugu warned that the command would not tolerate such criminal deception and called on parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the activities and peer influence on their children.