A suspected fake kidnap plot aimed at extorting ransom from a family has been uncovered by the Benue State Police Command, leading to the arrest of two women in Makurdi.
According to the Command, a report was lodged with the State Intelligence Department’s Violence and Crime Response Unit on 15 July that Mary Torkuma of Akpehe had gone missing.
Shortly afterwards, her mother in Lagos received a phone call demanding ransom and claiming Mary had been kidnapped.
Police said investigations led detectives to a hotel in Ankpa Quarters, Makurdi, where Mary was found with her alleged accomplice, Evergreen Samuel, who had travelled from Abia State.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the two women allegedly conspired to stage the kidnap in an attempt to extort money from Mary’s family.
The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, warned against staging false kidnap incidents, saying such acts divert security resources and attract prosecution.
The Command, through its spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondona, urged residents to report suspicious activities promptly to security agencies for immediate response.
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(Editor: Ada Ononye)
