A woman who was widely believed to have been abducted in Edo State has been discovered in a hotel in Delta State, prompting police to launch further investigations into what authorities now suspect was a staged kidnapping plot.
The woman, identified as Oluchi, had reportedly been declared missing after her family received information that she had been kidnapped in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
Her disappearance triggered an outpouring of concern from relatives and friends, with family members appealing to the public for financial assistance to secure her release after the alleged abductors demanded a ransom said to have initially been fixed at N50 million before being reduced to N20 million.
However, police investigations reportedly took a different turn when operatives traced the case to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State, where the woman was allegedly found in the company of a male companion.
A source familiar with the investigation said detectives tracked the suspect through telephone records and located both individuals in the hotel.
According to the source, the woman's husband was subsequently contacted and informed that she had been found safe.
"The police traced the man's phone number to a hotel in Delta State and discovered both of them there. The husband was invited and later informed of the outcome of the investigation," the source said.
The development has left members of the woman's family devastated, particularly her daughter, Anita, who resides in Canada and had actively campaigned for support during the period her mother was believed to be in captivity.
In a video circulated online, Anita expressed shock over the revelations, saying the incident had caused emotional distress and embarrassment to the family.
She maintained that she had acted solely out of concern for her mother's safety and had no knowledge of any alleged plan to deceive family members and sympathisers.
According to her, no ransom was eventually paid and all funds raised during the campaign for her mother's release would be refunded.
She added that the family had involved law enforcement agencies from the outset and would allow the legal process to run its course.
The controversy also drew a reaction from the Harmony Ladies Club, a social group that had supported efforts to secure Oluchi's release.
In a statement circulated to members and later made available to journalists, the group expressed disappointment over the outcome of the investigation.
The club said it had mobilised emotional, logistical and financial support in the belief that one of its members was facing a genuine life-threatening situation, only to learn later that the incident was allegedly orchestrated.
"It is with deep disappointment and a sense of betrayal that we discovered through investigations that the kidnapping was allegedly staged," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command has confirmed the incident.
The command's spokesperson, CSP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed that four persons had been arrested in connection with the case.
"I can confirm the incident and also confirm that four suspects have been arrested in relation to the matter," she said.
Police authorities said investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnap hoax and the roles played by those involved.
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