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A 45-year-old Edo State woman, Oluchi Ugbowan, has admitted that she orchestrated her own kidnapping in a desperate attempt to raise money to settle mounting debts. The woman, who was arrested alongside three other suspects by the Edo State Police Command, confessed that the alleged abduction was entirely staged after her family received demands for a ₦50 million ransom. Investigators later discovered that she had voluntarily gone into hiding and helped coordinate the fake kidnapping scheme.
Speaking in a video released by the police, Ugbowan said severe financial pressure pushed her into the plan. She explained that after creditors, including a microfinance institution, began mounting pressure on her, she devised a scheme that would convince her family to contribute money for her supposed release. According to her, she recruited individuals to assist in creating a realistic kidnapping video, complete with a cutlass and an unlicensed firearm pointed at her neck, while she tied her own hands to make the footage appear genuine. She admitted that the ransom demand was later reduced from ₦50 million to ₦20 million during negotiations with her relatives.
One of the suspects, identified as Israel Ability, told investigators that Ugbowan approached him with the idea and asked him to help execute the plan. He admitted purchasing the SIM card used to contact the family and demand ransom. Another suspect claimed he believed the recording was intended for a church drama and did not initially understand its true purpose. Police also arrested the owner of the unlicensed gun used in the video after tracing the source of the weapon.
The case first gained widespread attention when Ugbowan’s family, including her daughter based in Canada, launched public appeals for assistance and prayers, believing she had genuinely been abducted. However, a police investigation eventually tracked the suspects to a hotel in Delta State, where Ugbowan was found. Her daughter later expressed shock and disappointment, describing the revelation as devastating for the family and damaging to their reputation. The Edo State Police Command has confirmed that all suspects remain in custody while investigations continue and possible criminal charges are being prepared.
