The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old woman, Nwachukwu Chidubem Blessing, over an alleged self-kidnapping scheme in which her family reportedly paid ₦3 million as ransom. According to the police, Blessing was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, following intelligence gathered during investigations into a reported kidnapping. The woman was said to have been abducted along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway on August 29, 2026.
The family of the alleged victim subsequently paid ₦3 million in ransom, but she was allegedly not released as expected. The failure to secure her release reportedly prompted the police to intensify their investigation, leading operatives to track her whereabouts. After sustained intelligence gathering, police said they located the alleged victim in a room in Asaba, Delta State, on the afternoon of September 18, where she was recovered and subsequently arrested.
Preliminary findings, according to the police, suggest that the reported kidnapping may have been staged. The command alleged that Blessing conspired with a female associate identified only as Onyinye, whose other names are yet to be established, as well as another unidentified male accomplice, to fabricate the abduction and obtain money from her family. Rather than being rescued from kidnappers, the police said, the woman was allegedly found in Asaba during the investigation.
The case has consequently shifted from a straightforward kidnapping investigation to an alleged conspiracy and fraud case, with detectives now working to determine how the reported abduction was planned, how the ransom was obtained and where the money went. The police said the 22-year-old suspect is currently assisting investigators with information that could help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and identify her alleged accomplices.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, psc, mnips, has directed that the investigation be intensified and that anyone found culpable be brought to justice in accordance with the law. The development also underscores the emotional and financial risks faced by families who receive kidnapping demands involving their relatives.
In such situations, families may be forced to make substantial payments under extreme pressure while authorities simultaneously work to establish whether the reported abduction is genuine. For now, the allegations remain subject to investigation, and the identities and roles of the other alleged accomplices have yet to be established by the police.
The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on September 20, 2026. The police are yet to reveal further details about the case, but it highlights the increasingly complex nature of kidnapping-related crimes, particularly cases in which alleged victims may be used as part of schemes designed to extort money from their own families.
Key points
- A 22-year-old woman, Nwachukwu Chidubem Blessing, has been arrested for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and collecting ₦3 million in ransom from her family.
- The Anambra State Police Command alleges that Blessing conspired with two others to fabricate the abduction and obtain money from her family.
- The case has shifted from a kidnapping investigation to an alleged conspiracy and fraud case, with detectives working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
