A married woman, identified as Oluchi, has been discovered in a hotel in Delta State after she reportedly faked her own abduction and demanded ₦50 million from her family.
Police said the case began after Oluchi was declared missing in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Edo State. Her family, including a daughter based in Canada, raised alarm and appealed for public assistance while negotiations reportedly brought the ransom demand down to ₦20 million.
However, investigators later traced communications linked to the case to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. A police source said officers located a man connected to the phone number used in the alleged ransom negotiations and followed the lead to the hotel.
“The police traced the number of the man to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. They met the man and the woman inside the hotel,” the source said.
The source added that the husband was informed after the discovery and later shown the woman at the station, where she allegedly pleaded that details not be disclosed to their children.
In a video shared online, the couple’s daughter, Anita, who lives in Canada, said the incident had caused severe distress within the family. She stated that the money raised had not been paid out and would be returned, adding that the situation had taken an unexpected turn.
She also said the family initially believed it was a genuine abduction and had involved the police from the outset, before learning it was not a kidnapping.
The Harmony Ladies Club, of which Anita is a member, issued a statement distancing itself from the incident, saying members had acted in good faith during what they believed was a real emergency. The group described the development as shocking and said its support had been based on the assumption of a genuine crisis.
Edo State Police spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the incident and said four people had been arrested in connection with the case.
