A 21-year-old Chidera Godwin Ako has been arrested by the Police in Enugu for allegedly faking his own kidnapping and defrauding his parents.

Chidera, age 21, who went missing on May 4, was arrested with three other accomplices, namely Okechukwu Philip Chidalu(19 years); Ifeanyi Ugwu (20 years); and Ossai Chigozie (35 years ), recently released from the Nigerian Correctional Service custodial centre.

Enugu Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, noted in a statement on Tuesday that a locally made single-barrel gun and two live cartridges were recovered from the suspects during the arrest.

Ndukwe narrated: “Chidera was reported missing on May 4, 2025. Subsequently, on May 21, 2025, his accomplices used his phone to demand a ₦10,000,000.00 ransom from his parents, sending a video of him bound, appearing beaten, with the recovered gun pointed at him.

“The parents pleaded for his release and paid ₦1,500,000.00 into a provided account on May 22, 2025, but the suspects failed to release him.”

He stated the failure to release Chidera prompted his parents to pay additional ₦500,000.00, adding that the police operatives swiftly arrested him (Chidera) and his accomplices at a Point Of Sale (POS) centre during an attempt to withdraw the funds.

“The suspects confessed to the crime and will be arraigned upon completion of investigations.”

Ndukwe said that the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, while describing the criminal act as unfortunate, had ordered further arrests of anyone linked to the crime.

He urged the public to report suspected kidnappings immediately and avoid hasty ransom payments, emphasising that some cases, like this one, may be staged.