Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command, attached to the Trans-Ekulu Division, have arrested a 26-year-old man, Chibuike Joshua Ugwuja, for allegedly staging his own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of ₦35,000,000 (Thirty-Five Million Naira) from his family.
The incident began on November 24, 2025, when Chibuike’s father reported his son missing after he failed to return home from his job as a private security guard. Subsequently, the family received a Facebook message from the suspect claiming he had been abducted in a commercial bus and that his abductors were demanding a large ransom.
According to Command Spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe, the suspect was brought to the police station by his father on November 30, 2025, following intense search operations by police operatives.
Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to staging the self-kidnapping. He revealed he had gone to a friend’s residence after work to “mastermind the false kidnap”. He claimed his actions were due to frustration over his uncle’s alleged inability to procure a tricycle for him.
Chibuike eventually returned home on November 29, 2025, after his ransom demands were not met. He remains in custody and will be arraigned and prosecuted upon conclusion of the investigation, as the police vow to hold individuals who abuse public trust accountable.
