‘I have dragged my family’s name in the mud’

• Female albino who plotted own kidnap to extort money from her mother expresses regrets  

“I WAS very open to the press. I told them the truth but they posted my story on the Internet. I have dragged the name of the family in the mud. I am broken and I don’t think I have a life anymore. I am not even eager to leave the police cell,” these were the words of Belinda Bosa, a female student of Delta State University, who was recently arrested for staging her own kidnap just to extort money from her mother.

  Belinda and her boyfriend, one America Ogagawotu, are in police custody after a crack team of detectives at the Delta State Police Command arrested them.

  Her mother, Mrs. Beatrice Bosa, reported in December that her daughter, Belinda, who resided in Lagos, was travelling from Lagos to Abraka in Delta State when unknown gunmen kidnapped her along the way.

  She claimed her abductors were demanding a ransom of N500, 000.   

  Belinda told The Guardian that although she committed the crime, but was no longer ready to speak to newsmen about it.

  Her boyfriend, America, who was also arrested, confessed to the crime.

   He claimed that they both wanted to use the money to settle down, rent a flat, equip it and use part of the money to start a business in Nigeria.  

  Sequel to the report by Mrs. Bosa, operatives of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Asaba, swung into action and arrested the said America at Oyiobo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after withdrawing the ransom money, which was paid into his Ecobank account in Port Harcourt.

   The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Alkali Baba Usman revealed that the victim on leaving Lagos, went to her boyfriend in Port Harcourt where they both planned to inform her parents that she was kidnapped so as to extort money from them.

  He further disclosed that the female student, Belinda, got N100, 000.00 as her own share from the ransom of N500, 000.00 paid by her mother.

  The Guardian learnt that Belinda’s mother was sad and could not believe their “decent daughter” would be involved in such a mess.

  In his confession, America said: “I am from Abraka in Ethiope East Local Council of Delta State. I am 30 years old.  I told my girlfriend’s family lies. I informed them that their daughter had been kidnapped. We called her mother for the N500, 000 ransom and she paid it. My girlfriend and myself agreed and arranged it. We wanted to use the money to get an accommodation so that I can settle down and marry my girlfriend.” 

  “ I really regret my action because it was my friend who gave me the idea. She gave us the telephone number of her mother so we stayed in my room and put a call to the woman. I still love my girlfriend but I don’t know if she still loves me. I have brought shame to my family and the nation. If I am freed, I will pay back the money three times. I read Computer Science at the IMT.”

  Delta State Police spokesperson, Celestina Kalu told The Guardian, “the girl kidnapped herself and made her widowed mother to pay N500, 000 ransom. She was trying to raise the money for her boyfriend. Police got to track the suspects using the account number and telephone number to burst the crime.”