What began as a desperate search for a kidnapped woman has ended in shock after a married woman, identified as Oluchi, was found in a Delta State hotel with her alleged lover after reportedly staging her own abduction and demanding a N50 million ransom from her family.
The woman’s children, including her Canada-based daughter, Anita, had launched an emotional campaign seeking public support to secure her release after she was reportedly abducted in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.
According to family accounts, the supposed kidnappers later reduced their demand from N50 million to N20 million as efforts intensified to raise the money.
However, a police investigation reportedly uncovered a different story.
Sources said investigators traced the phone number linked to one of the suspects to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State, where officers allegedly found Oluchi and her lover together.
“The police traced the number to a hotel and found both the man and the woman there. The husband was contacted and initially thought his wife had been rescued before he was informed of what investigators had discovered,” a source said.
The development has left the family devastated.
In an emotional online video, Anita said the revelation had shattered the family and damaged her reputation, insisting she had acted only to save her mother.
“My mum has been released. My mum is involved in this kidnapping case. I only did what I did to save my mum,” she said.
“The family is in shock. This is not right. This has shattered my family. My reputation has been ruined. We never paid the kidnappers. The money is intact and we will make refunds.”
She added that police investigations indicated her mother and the man had allegedly planned to collect part of the ransom money that had already been raised.
The fallout also prompted the Harmony Ladies Club, a social group to which Anita belongs, to publicly distance itself from the incident.
In a statement, the group expressed disappointment and described the alleged abduction as a betrayal of the support members had provided.
“When news of her alleged abduction broke, the club acted swiftly in good faith. Out of sisterhood, love and community responsibility, we rallied immediately,” the statement said.
“It is with a profound sense of betrayal that we have now discovered through investigations that the entire kidnapping incident was staged.”
Confirming the incident, Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said four persons had been arrested in connection with the case.
“I can confirm the incident and also let you know that four people have been arrested,” she stated.
The case has sparked outrage on social media, with many expressing sympathy for the family, particularly the daughter who publicly appealed for help while believing her mother had genuinely been kidnapped.
