Police in Enugu have arrested 21-year-old Chidera Ako and three others for allegedly staging his own kidnap to extort money from his parents.
According to police spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe, Ako was declared missing on 4 May. His accomplices later demanded ₦10 million in ransom, sending a video showing him bound and appearing assaulted, with a gun pointed at him.
The distraught parents transferred ₦1.5 million on 22 May, followed by an additional ₦500,000, after which police tracked the suspects and arrested them at a POS centre while attempting to withdraw the funds.
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Recovered items include ₦2 million, a locally-made single-barrel gun, and two live cartridges.
The suspects—Ako, Chidalu Okechukwu aged 19, Ifeanyi Ugwu, a 20 year old, and Ossai Chigozie 35 years old—have reportedly confessed.
Police say they will face prosecution once investigations are concluded.
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