Two women have been arrested by the Benue State Police Command for allegedly orchestrating a fake kidnapping in a bid to extort money from a family. According to Punch News, the suspects reportedly staged the abduction to demand ransom from one of their relatives.
Police spokesperson DSP Peter Aondona said investigations revealed that Mary Torkuma, who left her Makurdi residence on July 12, 2026, to visit her friend, Evergreen Samuel, allegedly conspired with her to deceive her mother into believing she had been kidnapped.
The mother, who lives in Lagos State, received a ransom demand from an unknown caller the following day.
Acting on intelligence, operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit tracked the suspects to a hotel in the Ankpa Quarters area of Makurdi, where Torkuma was found alongside Samuel, who had travelled from Abia State to allegedly participate in the scheme.
Police said the investigation established that the pair planned the fake abduction to obtain money from Torkuma’s mother through false ransom demands. Both suspects remain in custody and will be arraigned after investigations are concluded.
The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, warned residents against engaging in criminal acts such as staging fake kidnappings, stressing that such offences waste security resources meant for genuine emergencies and are punishable under the law.
The Benue State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led policing and urged members of the public to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
Source: Punch News.
