A 16-year-old Senior Secondary School 2 student in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has been apprehended after allegedly faking her own abduction and demanding a ₦2 million ransom from her family.
The student, who attends a private secondary school on Watchman Street, reportedly orchestrated the fake kidnap with the assistance of a family friend.
She is a native of Izzi Local Government Area and was expected to resume school for the third term on Saturday.
According to the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, Joshua Ukandu, the girl told officers she had left home to purchase second-hand clothes, known locally as Okirika, when she claimed someone tapped her from behind. She said she lost consciousness and later woke up at Ishieke Junction in Ebonyi Local Government Area.
She also stated that she often dreams of being kidnapped and that her mother frequently prays against such occurrences.
Instead of returning home after regaining consciousness, she went to the home of a family friend, who was unaware she had been declared missing.
While at the house, she used the man’s phone to contact her brother, claiming she had been kidnapped and requesting a ₦2 million ransom. When her brother asked to speak with the supposed abductors and requested their location, she declined and blocked his number.
Later, she unblocked him and sent a bank account number belonging to the man hosting her.
The phone was eventually tracked, leading police to raid the house and arrest all individuals involved in the scheme.
The police spokesperson confirmed that the case is under investigation, and although the girl has been reunited with her family, authorities are still handling the matter due to her age.
