Police Arrest Man, Friend Over Staged Kidnap, N30m Ransom

The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a man and his friend for allegedly staging his own abduction and demanding a ransom of N30 million from his father.

The suspects were identified as Fortune Onuoha and his friend, Godspower Nkwo, popularly known as Hulk.

The suspects allegedly fabricated the kidnapping, sending distressing videos and voice notes showing Onuoha tied up to his father while demanding N30 million for his release.

The Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abakaliki.

According to the police, the incident was reported on October 31, 2026, at about 10:30 p.m., when Onuoha’s father contacted the Command’s Control Room to report that his son had been abducted from his hostel in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.

The father reportedly told the police that he had received view-once videos and voice notes showing his son tied up, alongside ransom demands of N30 million from the purported kidnappers.

The suspects also allegedly threatened to kill the young man if the money was not paid.

Following the report, the police deployed operatives to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and identify those behind it.

Ukandu said sustained surveillance and discreet investigations eventually led to a breakthrough on November 5, when police operatives arrested the two suspects as they emerged from the room where they had been hiding.

The police commissioner, Mrs Urunwa Okafor, warned members of the public against staging kidnappings or making false claims of abduction to extort money from relatives.

She said such criminal acts inflict severe emotional trauma on parents, guardians and loved ones while diverting police resources from tackling genuine security threats.

Okafor stressed that staging kidnappings and making false abduction claims were criminal offences punishable under the law.

She urged residents to shun criminal activities and embrace lawful means of addressing their challenges.