A female undergraduate of Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), Chinecherem Nwaokoye, has been arrested by operatives of the Anambra State Police Command for allegedly faking her own abduction in a plot to extort money from her family.
The 21-year-old student was apprehended alongside her boyfriend, Chinecherem Aronu, after police tracked them to a lodge at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Temporary Site in Awka, where they were found hiding together.
According to a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the arrest followed a detailed intelligence-led investigation by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) after the police received a distress report from the victim’s family regarding her mysterious disappearance.
Chinecherem had earlier informed her relatives that she was returning home from school, but failed to arrive, with her phone switched off for hours. The following day, 9th July 2025, her family reportedly received a distressing call from an unknown male voice who claimed responsibility for her kidnap and demanded a ransom of ₦10 million.
After tense negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₦3 million, and her family made a part payment of ₦1 million — directly into the supposed victim’s bank account.
“This was a red flag,” SP Ikenga noted. “Our officers traced the account and launched an operation that led to the discovery that the victim was not only alive, but in safe condition and in the company of her boyfriend.”
During interrogation, both suspects confessed to orchestrating the fake kidnapping, with Nwaokoye admitting she got the idea after watching a film and thought it would be a quick way to raise funds for her boyfriend’s business venture.
Reacting to the incident, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, described the plot as “a disturbing reflection of the deepening moral decline among some young people in our society.” He condemned the act and ordered that both suspects be immediately charged to court.
CP Orutugu also urged parents and guardians to be more vigilant, stressing the need for closer monitoring of their children’s movements, peer influence, and online exposure.
The arrest has sparked widespread debate across social media and university communities, with many expressing concern over the lengths some youths are willing to go for money.