A 28-year-old female student of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Miss Chinecherem Okonkwo, has been arrested alongside her 30-year-old boyfriend, Mr. Chinecherem Aronu, for allegedly faking her abduction in an attempt to extort ₦10 million from her family.
The Anambra State Police Command confirmed the arrest in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Tochukwu Ikenga.
He said the suspects were apprehended at a lodge near the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) temporary site in Awka, Anambra State, following an intelligence-led operation.
The incident began on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, when Okonkwo informed her family that she was heading home from school but never arrived.
Her mobile phone was switched off, prompting panic.
However, the following day, the family received a call from a man claiming to be her kidnapper, demanding a ransom of ₦10 million for her release.
After negotiations, the ransom was reduced to ₦3 million. A part payment of ₦1 million was made shockingly to the victim’s bank account.
This prompted suspicion and led to a police investigation.
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“Acting on intelligence, operatives traced the location and discovered the supposedly abducted student alive and in the company of her boyfriend,” DSP Ikenga stated.
“Upon interrogation, the two confessed to staging the abduction as a ploy to extract money from her family.”
The student reportedly admitted she conceived the idea after watching a movie and intended to use the funds to help her boyfriend start a business.
Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, has ordered that the suspects be prosecuted immediately.
He condemned the act as a disturbing reflection of declining moral values among some youths and warned that the command would not tolerate such acts of deceit.
Orutugu also urged parents and guardians to monitor their children’s associations and activities more closely.
