By The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old woman, Mrs. Oluchi Ugbowan, and four other suspects for allegedly orchestrating a fake kidnapping and attempting to fraudulently obtain ₦50 million in ransom from her family members.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued by the Edo State Police Command Spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
According to the police, the case began after Mr. Tony Ugbowan, husband of the purported victim, reported on June 1, 2026, that his wife had been kidnapped while on her way to her shop at Ramat Park along Agbor Road in Benin City.
The complainant also informed the police that he had earlier received a phone call on May 28, 2026, demanding a ransom of ₦50 million for her release.
The Command said an intelligence-led investigation led to the arrest of one Israel Ability, 28, at Ramat Park, Agbor Road, Benin City. A mobile phone belonging to the purported victim was recovered from him during the operation.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit immediately commenced a discreet investigation, deploying both intelligence and technical resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnap. Thorough investigation led to the arrest of one Israel Ability, male, aged 28 years, at Ramat Park, Agbor Road, Benin City.
“During his arrest, the mobile phone belonging to the purported victim was recovered from him. Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed that he had been contracted by Mrs. Oluchi Ugbowan to negotiate ransom with her family while falsely presenting her as a kidnapped victim,” the statement read.
The police further disclosed that investigations led operatives to a hotel in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, where Mrs. Ugbowan was arrested on June 5, 2026. She reportedly confessed to staging her own abduction.
Two other suspects, Ochukwudem Uwadia, 38, and his 18-year-old son, Chibuzor, were also arrested in connection with the case, while an automatic pump-action gun used in the ransom videos was recovered in their premises.
“Further investigation subsequently led operatives on 5th June, 2026, to a hotel in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, where Mrs. Oluchi Ugbowan was arrested. During interrogation, she confessed to staging her own kidnapping and thereafter led investigators to the residence of an accomplice in Delta State, one Ochukwudem Uwadia, male, aged 38 years.
“Investigation revealed that the residence was used as the location where videos depicting the victim with tied hands and feet were recorded and circulated to family members as proof of captivity. The suspect further disclosed that Uwadia’s son, Chibuzor Ochukwudem, male, aged 18 years, was the individual seen in the videos pointing a firearm at her head in order to further lend credibility to the false kidnapping narrative,” the statement added.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, CP Monday Agbonika, warned members of the public against engaging in fake kidnapping schemes.
He noted that such acts constitute serious criminal offences and also divert critical security resources away from genuine crime-fighting efforts and rescue operations.
