Oluchi Ugbowan, a woman reported missing, was arrested by the Edo State Police Command after being discovered in a hotel with her lover, Israel Ability, revealing that her “kidnapping” was an elaborate hoax.
The incident, which had initially caused significant alarm among her family and community, resulted in a ransom demand of N50 million.
Police investigations shifted from a missing person case to a criminal probe after detectives traced the ransom negotiation phone number to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State, where they found Ugbowan with Ability.
During the police parade, Ugbowan admitted she had staged the event to pay off crushing debts.
She confessed to the scheme, stating, “I was not kidnapped, but I went into hiding,” and explained that she recruited others to help make the abduction appear genuine.
She further detailed the production of a staged video, saying, “My mindset was that if they saw stronger evidence, they would come up with a better negotiation.”
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She admitted that she requested a cutlass be held to her neck and later opted to include a firearm to increase pressure on her relatives.
Ability, 28, also admitted to his role in the deception.
He confessed to purchasing the SIM card used for the calls and accompanying Ugbowan to the hotel.
He said, “She said I should call her husband directly to ask for money,” and acknowledged he expected a share of the funds despite having no formal agreement.
An 18-year-old suspect, Chinedu Chibuzor, claimed he was misled, asserting, “I was told it was a church drama.”
He admitted to being the individual seen holding the gun in the video.
The police also paraded the father of the two brothers, who confirmed that the illegal firearm used in the video belonged to him for his work as a vigilante.
The Edo State Police Command continues to investigate the case, and formal charges for the suspects are expected to follow.
