A married woman identified as Oluchi has been discovered in a hotel in Delta State after allegedly staging her own abduction and demanding ₦50 million from her family.
The case began when her family reported her missing, claiming she was kidnapped in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area in Edo State.
The situation escalated as her children, including a daughter based in Canada, publicly appealed for help to raise the ransom, which was later reportedly reduced to ₦20 million by the alleged kidnapers.
However, police investigations later traced a phone number linked to the case to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. A source said operatives stormed the location and found the woman in a hotel room with a man identified as her lover.
According to the source, the police contacted the woman’s husband after the discovery, and he was initially relieved, believing she had been rescued from kidnappers. It was later at the police station that he was informed the abduction had been staged. The woman allegedly pleaded with him not to disclose the truth to their children.
In a video circulating online, the daughter expressed shock and disappointment, saying the incident had deeply damaged the family. She said the family had believed the kidnapping was real and had worked with the police from the beginning. She also noted that no ransom was eventually paid and confirmed that efforts would be made to refund money raised.
A social group, the Harmony Ladies Club, which the daughter belongs to, also distanced itself from the incident, describing it as a betrayal. The group said it mobilised emotional, logistical, and financial support in good faith before learning that the kidnapping had been staged.
The Delta State Police Command confirmed the development, stating that four suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.
