Police Unmask Woman’s Plot to Stage Own Kidnap, Demand ₦5m Ransom from Husband
In a bizarre twist of crime and deceit, operatives of the Edo State Police Command have uncovered a case of self-kidnapping involving a 27-year-old woman, Chioma Success Ezebie, who allegedly staged her own abduction to extort ₦5 million from her unsuspecting husband.
The Police, in a statement released on Tuesday by the Deputy Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, revealed that Chioma connived with her cousin, Osita Godfrey, and another accomplice, Martins Chidozie, to execute the elaborate scam.
According to the Police, the drama began on October 27, 2025, when Chioma’s husband, Paul Adaniken, reported to the New Etete Police Division in Benin City that his wife and their three-year-old son had been kidnapped while he was away at work. He told Officers that an anonymous caller had demanded a ₦5 million ransom for their release.
The report triggered an immediate investigation by the Police, who deployed detectives and the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to track the suspects using cyber intelligence tools. However, what started as a desperate search for a missing mother and child soon took a shocking turn.
During the course of investigation, Police Officers discovered inconsistencies in the accounts provided by Chioma’s cousin, Osita, who had been assisting the family.
A deeper probe led to his arrest, and under interrogation, he confessed that the abduction was a staged plot masterminded by Chioma herself.
His confession prompted the arrest of Chioma and the third suspect, Martins, who all admitted to faking the abduction in an attempt to defraud her husband.
The Police said the ₦5 million ransom money had since been recovered, and all suspects are now in custody at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further interrogation and prosecution.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, praised the swift response and intelligence-driven work of officers at the New Etete Division, describing the incident as a “shameful act of betrayal and greed.”
He warned residents against staging crimes for personal gain, stressing that such acts waste Police resources and undermine public trust.
“This case serves as a reminder that deceitful actions will not go unpunished. The Command remains committed to leveraging technology and intelligence to expose criminal schemes, no matter how cleverly disguised,” Agbonika said.
The arrest comes amid rising cases of kidnapping in Edo State. Despite several Police operations and community interventions, criminals continue to terrorize residents.
In recent months, incidents such as the lynching of suspected kidnappers in Uromi and the abduction of a retired headmaster, Mr. Eliaser Olorunloju, in Akoko-Edo, have raised concerns about public safety.
As investigations continue, the Edo Police Command reiterated its determination to clamp down on both real and staged kidnappings, vowing that those involved in criminal deception would face the full wrath of the law.
