Police catch woman who pretended to be kidnapped for N50m ransom

The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of Oluchi Ugbowan for pretending to be kidnapped.

Mrs Ugbowan’s daughter, Majesty Bundle, announced on her Instagram that her mother was kidnapped. She said her mother was taken while going to her shop and asked for money from Nigerians. She claimed the kidnappers wanted N50 million as ransom.

The police spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said Mrs Ugbowan staged her own kidnapping in the Ikpoba Hills area. This was reported by the Independent Television and Radio (ITV) on Monday.

Ikoedem said officers arrested her and her accomplices, who are now in police custody. "Oluchi Ugbowan was tracked down to Delta State and arrested in a hotel. The whole group has been caught. They have all confessed to this crime, and the items used in that video have also been recovered," she said.

Ikoedem also mentioned that the authorities will take legal action against the 45-year-old and those arrested with her.

Majesty Bundle has apologized to all Nigerians, especially those who gave money to help free her mother. In a now-deleted Instagram video, she said she was shocked and did not know what to say. "My mum has been released. There has been an ongoing investigation. And it has been found that my mum is involved in this case. The family is in shock. I only did what any child would do to ensure her mum is safe. My dad has some health issues. I do not know how he will go through this. I am so angry. I have no hand in this," she said.

She also apologized for her mother’s fake kidnapping, stating that she and her family had no idea about it until the truth was revealed. "I know what it feels like to be in a season where your heart is heavy, your mind is tired, and you’re carrying burdens you never imagined you would have to face. Lately, life has tested me in ways I can’t even put into words, but one thing I keep reminding myself is this: God is not sleeping. Even when I don’t understand how the pain feels overwhelming, and the answers seem far away, I choose to hold on to faith. Every tear, every prayer, every sleepless night. God sees it all."

In another video on her Instagram on Monday, Majesty Bundle, who sells perfume, said her family is refunding the donated money. She told those who could not reach their family members to contact her directly to ask for a refund. "I am specifically refunding all the money to members of the public who donated and contributed. All you have to do is go to my page, review the details on the screen, then send me a receipt of your payment, and you will be refunded accordingly. I am not a thief or a scammer. I have already started refunding, and if you are unable to reach any of my family members, reach out to me with your receipt, and you will be refunded. All the money raised is being refunded. For the GoFundMe, we are working on an automatic refund so that everybody gets their money back."