Woman stages own kidnap in Delta, demands N15m ransom
A 54-year-old woman identified as Umadi has been arrested in connection with a staged kidnapping in Delta State. According to police reports, she allegedly told her brother that she had been abducted by gunmen while trying to purchase medication and claimed her captors would kill her if a ransom was not paid.
During subsequent questioning, Umadi admitted to orchestrating the false abduction and contacting her brother to demand a ransom of 15 million naira. However, when asked why she subjected her sibling to such distress—given that he had not wronged her—she reportedly could not provide a satisfactory explanation.
The incident was reported to the Ogwashi-Uku Police Division on October 23, 2026. Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe stated that the Commissioner of Police directed the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Ubuluku to investigate the situation and secure Umadi’s release.
Investigators quickly determined that she had concocted the scheme to defraud her younger brother. Edafe expressed surprise at the situation, noting that the Delta State Police Command had encountered similar cases involving younger individuals but had never seen a staged kidnapping involving someone of Umadi’s age.
“In the past, we have dealt with cases of self-kidnapping among teenagers but not among someone who is 54 years old,” Edafe remarked. “It is unfortunate that she resorted to faking her own kidnapping to extort money from her brother.”
Umadi also claimed that she had been held captive for 12 days after arranging the hoax. The police spokesperson praised her brother for reporting the incident instead of paying the ransom and urged the public to report such threats to authorities.
Edafe further indicated that the investigation might involve other accomplices in the alleged scheme, stating, “We are still on their trail because she didn’t do this alone, and we are definitely going to arrest them.”
Authorities are continuing their efforts to apprehend any additional suspects and are working to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident.
