Subhead: “I only wanted to recover the N3.6m loan I spent on my wedding,” says suspect

A 29-year-old housewife identified as Merit (surname withheld) has been arrested by the Delta State Police Command for faking her own abduction in a bid to recover a loan she had diverted to fund her wedding.

The arrest followed the payment of a N3 million ransom by her unsuspecting husband, who later reported the incident to the police and insisted on pursuing the case further.

During interrogation, Merit confessed that she had taken a N3.6 million loan from her brother—originally meant for purchasing a tricycle—but instead used the funds to cover expenses for her wedding in March 2025. She said she saw the fake kidnapping as the only way to repay the loan.

"I was just thinking of a way to raise the money, so I decided to pretend that I had been kidnapped," she told investigators.

According to Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the incident occurred on July 20, when the suspect informed her husband she was on her way to meet him. Shortly afterward, he received news of her alleged abduction.

Although the ransom was paid, the husband reported the matter to the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad. Acting on the report, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, directed CSP Godwin Osadolor to lead a thorough investigation.

Police operatives, acting on intelligence, arrested one Alfred (surname withheld) at Koka Roundabout, Asaba, and another accomplice, Ugochukwu (surname withheld), off DLA Road, on July 22. One of the suspects eventually confessed that the kidnapping was staged.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Merit, who admitted to orchestrating the fake abduction. She revealed that out of the N3 million ransom, she kept N2.5 million for herself and gave her accomplices N500,000.

All suspects are currently in custody as police continue their investigation.