The Edo State Police Command has uncovered a staged kidnapping scheme allegedly orchestrated by a 45-year-old woman, Oluchi Ugbowan, leading to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of a firearm used in recording ransom videos sent to her family.
The command disclosed the development in a statement on Tuesday by its spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, noting that the suspects allegedly conspired to extort ₦50 million from the woman’s relatives through a fabricated abduction.
According to the police, the case began on June 1, 2026, when Tony Ugbowan of Agbor Road, Benin City, reported that his wife had been kidnapped while on her way to her shop at Ramat Park.
He told investigators that he had received calls from a concealed telephone number on May 28 demanding ₦50 million ransom for her release.
Following the report, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit launched an intensive investigation, deploying intelligence and technical resources to trace those behind the alleged abduction.
The investigation led to the arrest of 28-year-old Israel Ability at Ramat Park, Benin City. Police said a mobile phone belonging to the supposed victim was recovered from him.
During interrogation, Ability allegedly confessed that he had been hired by Mrs. Ugbowan to negotiate ransom payments with her family while pretending she had been kidnapped.
Further investigations took detectives to a hotel in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State on June 5, where Mrs. Ugbowan was arrested. Police said she confessed to staging her own kidnapping and subsequently led investigators to the residence of another suspect, 38-year-old Ochukwudem Uwadia.
Investigators discovered that the residence had been used as the location for recording videos showing the victim with her hands and feet tied, which were later circulated to family members as purported proof that she was being held captive.
Police further alleged that Uwadia’s 18-year-old son, Chibuzor Ochukwudem, was the individual seen in the videos pointing a firearm at Mrs. Ugbowan’s head in an attempt to make the kidnapping story appear genuine.
A search of the premises led to the recovery of an automatic pump-action gun allegedly used during the production of the ransom videos.
The police said all suspects connected to the conspiracy have been arrested and are assisting investigators.
Commending the operatives for their work, Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, said the swift resolution of the case demonstrated the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and related crimes.
He warned that false kidnapping plots are serious criminal offences that divert security resources from genuine victims, urging members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities and avoid actions capable of causing public panic.
