ESUT Undergraduate Stages Own Kidnap with Boyfriend to Extort Money from Family

Anambra State Police commissioner, CP Ikioye Orutugu

A female student of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Chinecherem Nwaokoye, in collaboration with her boyfriend, Chinecherem Aronu, allegedly staged her own kidnapping in a scheme to extort money from her family.

According to a statement issued by the Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the two suspects were arrested for orchestrating the fake abduction in an attempt to deceive the victim’s family.

The suspects have been identified as Chinecherem Nwaokoye, 28, and Chinecherem Aronu, 30.

The statement revealed that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), acting on intelligence gathered during an investigation into a disturbing report of a missing person, stormed a lodge located at the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka. There, they found the allegedly abducted Nwaokoye alive and in the company of her boyfriend and co-conspirator.

According to the report, Nwaokoye had contacted her family on Tuesday, 8th July 2025, informing them that she was returning home from school.

However, she never arrived. Her phone remained switched off throughout the day. On Wednesday, 9th July, the family received a call from an unidentified male who claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and demanded a ransom of ₦10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira).

After negotiations, the ransom was reduced to ₦3,000,000. A part payment of ₦1,000,000 was reportedly deposited into Nwaokoye’s own bank account.

Upon interrogation, both suspects confessed to the staged abduction. Nwaokoye admitted to masterminding the scheme after being inspired by a movie and claimed she intended to give the money to her boyfriend to start a business.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu condemned the act, describing it as a disturbing sign of growing moral decay among some youths.

He directed that the suspects be charged to court without delay and warned that the Command will not tolerate such acts of criminal deception. He further urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children’s behavior and peer influences.