Married Woman Found in Delta Hotel After Faking Kidnap

A married woman named Oluchi has been found in a hotel in Delta State after pretending she was kidnapped. She had asked her family for N50 million.

On Monday, PUNCH Metro learned that Oluchi's children, including her daughter in Canada, begged the public to help them raise money. This happened while the supposed kidnappers lowered the ransom to N20 million.

They told the police that their mother was taken at Ikpoba Hill in the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. But a police investigation revealed that Oluchi was actually in Delta State with her lover in a hotel.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "Police traced the number of the man to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. They found the man and the kidnapped woman inside a hotel. They called the husband, and he was happy. It was at the station that the police broke the news to him. The wife begged the husband not to tell her children what actually happened."

In a video shared online on Monday, her daughter, Anita, who lives in Canada, said her mother’s actions have broken their family apart. She promised that the family would allow the law to handle the situation.

Anita said, "My mum has been released. She is involved in this kidnapping case. I only did what I did to save my mom. The family is in shock. This is not right. This has shattered my family. My dad has some health issues. This is so unfortunate. What did I do wrong?"

She added, "My reputation has been ruined. I am short of words. I am so mad. I have no hand in this. I never knew. I only wanted my mother back home. The law will take its course. I am sorry this is happening. I only did what any daughter would do. My family has been shattered."

Anita also said, "We were told that my mum has been released. We didn’t pay the kidnappers. The money is intact. We are going to make a refund. We involved the police from the beginning. We now know it was not a real kidnapping. They said my mom is involved. They are having a relationship. The guy was traced. They had agreed to take what we already raised to N20 million."

The Harmony Ladies Club, which Anita is part of, released a statement on their WhatsApp group to distance itself from the fake kidnapping. They expressed deep disappointment and embarrassment at Oluchi’s actions.

The statement read, "When news of her alleged abduction broke, the club acted quickly in good faith. Out of sisterhood, love, and community responsibility, we rallied immediately. Our members provided emotional, logistical, and financial support during what we believed was a life-threatening crisis, sharing the heavy burden of anxiety with her family."

The statement continued, "It is with a profound sense of betrayal that we have now discovered, through investigations, that the entire kidnapping incident was staged by Mrs Oluchi herself."

Eno Ikoedem, the spokesperson for the state command, confirmed the incident. She said four people have been arrested in connection with it. "I can confirm the incident and also let you know that four people have been arrested in connection with the incident," she stated.