In a shocking twist of events, the Anambra State Police Command has arrested a university student and her boyfriend for staging her own kidnap in a desperate bid to raise money for a business venture.
The suspects, Chinecherem Okonkwo (28, female) and Chinecherem Aronu (30, male), were paraded after operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) uncovered the fake abduction plot.
According to Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Chinecherem, a student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), went into hiding on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, after calling her family to say she was returning home. Her phone later went off, sparking panic.
The following day, her family received a distressing call from an unidentified male voice claiming she had been kidnapped. A ransom of ₦10 million was demanded, later reduced to ₦3 million, with ₦1 million paid into the student’s bank account before police stepped in.
Acting on intelligence, operatives stormed a lodge near UNIZIK Temporary Site, Awka, where Chinecherem was found alive in the company of her boyfriend.
During interrogation, the duo confessed to masterminding the kidnap as a quick means of raising money. Chinecherem reportedly admitted that she conceived the idea after watching a movie and intended to hand over the ransom to her boyfriend to start a business.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, expressed outrage over the incident, calling it a reflection of societal decay.
“This is a clear sign of deepening moral decay among some youths in our society. The suspects will be charged to court without delay,” Orutugu said, warning that the Command would not tolerate such “criminal deception.”
He urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the lifestyle and peer influence of their children, stressing that the police remain committed to protecting the public from fraud and extortion.
Both suspects remain in custody as prosecution processes begin.
