Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested an 18-year-old woman, Obehi Odine, in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Council of the state, for allegedly staging her own kidnap and demanding a ransom of N10 million.
The command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said in a statement made available to journalists yesterday that 11 other suspects were also arrested in Ubiaja for allegedly being part of a kidnapping syndicate. Ikoedem said exhibits, including firearms, were recovered from the suspects.
“A suspect, Obehi Odine ‘f’, aged 18, was arrested for staging her own kidnap and demanding a ransom of N10 million,” he said. “She has confessed to the crime, admitting that the incident was deliberately fabricated to extort money.”
He added that in a related operation in Ubiaja, the command recorded another operational success following a coordinated bush-combing exercise.
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer in Ubiaja personally led the operation around Akwocha Camp and adjoining forest corridors, in collaboration with the Nigerian military and the Edo State Security Corps.
“A concealed forest enclave identified by the drone squadron through intelligence generated from air surveillance as a suspected kidnapping and logistics base was stormed,” the statement said.
“This resulted in the arrest of 11 male suspects believed to be members of an organised kidnapping syndicate.” Exhibits recovered, the police said, included 24 dane guns, 17 cutlasses, three battle axes, gun powder, torchlights, mobile phones, solar panels, assorted charms, one motorcycle and N209,700, among others.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, warned members of the public against making false kidnapping reports and engaging in other deceptive acts.
He said such actions waste critical security resources, divert attention from genuine emergencies, create unnecessary panic and undermine public confidence, adding that offenders would be prosecuted.
Agbonika reiterated the command’s resolve to sustain technology-driven policing, aggressive forest dominance and intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks across the state.
