RismadarVoice Reporters
March 21, 2026
The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered a case of conspiracy and staged kidnapping involving an 18-year-old victim and her boyfriend, leading to the arrest of two suspects.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, made the breakthrough on March 14, 2026, as part of ongoing investigations into criminal activities across the state.
According to the statement, the suspects — Chinedu Chineye Nwobi, 25, and Okwudili Nweke, 25 — were arrested in connection with the incident, while the victim, Miss Mmesoma Ifediora, was rescued unharmed from a forest known as “Malaysia Forest” in Iruayika, Awkuzu.
Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the kidnapping was staged in collaboration with the victim’s boyfriend, identified as Obiora Okoye, also known as “Stainless,” who is currently on the run.
“Upon interrogation, the rescued victim confessed that the kidnapping was staged in collaboration with her boyfriend with the intent to extort the sum of ₦3 million from her parents,” Ikenga stated.
He added that the victim disclosed that both she and her boyfriend had taken an oath of secrecy and had moved between locations for about two months to sustain the deception.
The police further revealed that the victim’s parents had already paid ₦240,000 into her Opay account as part of the ransom demand before the plot was uncovered.
Items recovered from the suspects include multiple SIM cards, a 4G WiFi device, mobile phones, a necklace, a bandage allegedly used to restrain the victim, and other materials.
In a related development, the police also arrested another suspect, Chukwuebuka Eze, 24, identified as a gang leader in a separate kidnapping case in Obosi.
Ikenga said the suspect was apprehended on March 18, 2026, and allegedly confessed to involvement in the abduction, during which a ransom of ₦150,000 was paid before the victims were released.
Items recovered from him include a locally made double-barrel shotgun, five live cartridges, and a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims.
The police spokesperson noted that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects, adding that all those arrested will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
He attributed the successes to intensified intelligence-driven operations and collaboration between security agencies and the public.
