Ebonyi teen fakes kidnap, demands N2m ransom
Ebonyi has been rocked by a startling incident involving a 16-year-old student in Senior Secondary School 2 (SS2) at a private secondary school in Abakaliki, who staged her own kidnapping and demanded a ransom of ₦2 million from her family.
According to the Ebonyi State Police Command, the teenage girl—who hails from Izzi Local Government Area—orchestrated the entire plot in collaboration with a family friend. She allegedly executed the hoax in a bid to extort money from her relatives. The incident occurred just days before she was scheduled to return to school for the third term of the academic session.
Speaking on the case, the Police Public Relations Officer for Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, confirmed that the teenager contacted a family member under false pretenses, claiming she had been abducted by unknown gunmen. In her fabricated story, she insisted that her captors were demanding a ₦2 million ransom for her safe release.
Ukandu told reporters that a family friend assisted the student in carrying out the scheme. He noted that while the man appeared to be unaware of the extent of the girl’s plan, he allowed her to stay at his residence, where she used his mobile phone to communicate with her family. It was from this phone that she sent a message to her brother, stating she had been kidnapped and needed the ransom for her freedom.
Ebonyi Student in SS2 Collaborates with Family Friend to Stage Fake Abduction in Abakaliki
The girl reportedly told police investigators that she had gone to a market to buy second-hand clothes—commonly referred to in Nigeria as Okirika—when someone tapped her from behind. According to her, she lost consciousness and later woke up at Ishieke Junction, located in Ebonyi Local Government Area.
Rather than returning home after “regaining consciousness,” the student made her way to the home of the aforementioned family friend, who lived within Abakaliki. She claimed to the man that she needed a place to stay for a short time, without disclosing that she had told her family she had been kidnapped.
From his phone, she messaged her brother, insisting that she had been abducted and was being held for ransom. When her brother requested to speak with the supposed kidnappers or obtain their location, she refused. She even went as far as blocking his number temporarily to avoid further questions. Later, she unblocked his contact and sent him a bank account number, which, according to police sources, belonged to the family friend who was unknowingly housing her.
The situation quickly escalated when the family reported the incident to the police. Acting swiftly, officers from the Ebonyi State Police Command launched a technical investigation and tracked the phone number used to send the ransom messages. Their search led them to the residence where the girl was hiding.
Upon raiding the location, police arrested everyone found in the house for questioning. The teenager was found safe and taken into custody. After an initial round of interrogation, she confessed to staging the kidnapping and admitted that it was all a plan to extort money from her family.
Speaking further on the matter, Ukandu noted that while the girl has been reunited with her parents, the investigation is still ongoing. Given the suspect’s age, the authorities are treating the matter with a degree of caution. “We are considering all legal and protective steps appropriate for a minor in a case like this,” Ukandu said.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion in Ebonyi State, particularly in Abakaliki, where the student’s school is located. Many have expressed concern over the mental health and societal pressures faced by teenagers, especially those in secondary school.
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Police Command has used the opportunity to warn residents—especially young people—against making false claims or misusing security resources. Ukandu emphasized that faking a kidnapping is a serious criminal offense, regardless of the motive or the age of the offender.
He stressed that the police would continue to investigate the case thoroughly and ensure that all individuals found to have played a role in the hoax are held accountable, in line with the law.
As the investigation progresses, authorities in Ebonyi urge parents and guardians to maintain open communication with their children and monitor signs of distress or unusual behavior.
source- Punch
