The Benue State Police Command has arrested two women for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping in a bid to extort ransom from a family.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the suspects, Mary Torkuma and Evergreen Samuel, were arrested following an intelligence-led investigation by the Violence Crime Response Unit.
According to the police, Torkuma left her residence in Akpehe, Makurdi, on July 12 to visit Samuel at North Bank. The following day, her mother, who lives in Lagos State, reportedly received a call from an unknown number claiming her daughter had been kidnapped and demanding ransom.
Investigators traced the suspects to a hotel in the Ankpa Quarters area of Makurdi, where Torkuma was found with Samuel, who had travelled from Abia State to participate in the alleged scheme.
Police said preliminary findings indicate the pair conspired to stage the abduction in an attempt to deceive Torkuma’s mother into paying ransom.
The suspects remain in custody and will be charged in court after investigations are concluded.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, warned residents against staging fake kidnapping incidents, noting that such crimes divert security resources from genuine emergencies and are punishable under the law.
He also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and urged the public to report suspicious activities to security agencies.
