A fresh twist has been introduced to the kidnapping business as a-32-year-old married woman and member of a church located in Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Victoria Elijah Ndu, has been arrested for planning her kidnap.
Her younger brother, Victor Okon Akang, an artisan residing in Awommama, Imo State has also been arrested for allegedly conspiring with her to commit the crime.
It was learnt that the two of them planned the fake kidnapping to raise money for their parent’s burial ceremony.
Mrs. Ndu was first rescued in Awommama in Imo State on Monday August 24 by men of the anti-kidnapping squad from the state police headquarters Ikot Akpan-Abia and arrested same day.
Investigation by the police showed that she actually planned the kidnapping to get some money from her church members.
The church, it was gathered had announced the sum of N3 million as ransom for her (Victoria) release.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Chukwu Ikechukwu, on Monday at Ikot Akpan-Abia said that the suspects were rescued and arrested same day following interrogation by men of anti-kidnapping unit where Mrs. Victoria confessed to the crime.
He said, “Victoria’s husband had on August 16 reported to the Divisional Police Headquarters in Nsit Atai that his wife had been kidnapped.
“He told the police that the wife told him that she was going to the market that day. But Nsit Atai lacked the jurisdiction to handle kidnap matters and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID).
“They traced the calls used in contacting the church members and demanding for N3 million ransom to Awommama in Imo State. That was how men of the anti-kidnapping unit swung into action and tracked down the suspects and rescued them.
“It was while Victoria Ndu was being interrogated at the anti-kidnapping unit that she confessed that she actually masterminded her own kidnap. That was why she and her brother were arrested. The brother was arrested because both of them conspired to fake the crime.
“What you are seeing here today is to serve as a deterrent to people who may be planning to go into this kind of crime. Police in Akwa Ibom are doing everything possible to make sure that crime in the state is reduced to the barest minimum
“The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zubairu Muazu, therefore appeals to members of the public to provide useful information that will help us to achieve that and serve them better.”
The suspects, during an interview, confessed to the crime even as both pleaded to be forgiven attributing their action to lack of money to conduct burial ceremony for their late parents.
Victoria who lamented her suffering after 10 years marriage without a child stressed, “We are orphans from very poor background. I only did what I did to help my family bury our parents.
“Our Father died in 2008 but we did not conduct any burial ceremony for him. In April this year our mother died too and since then she has not been buried because of lack of money. We wanted to conduct burial for both of them”
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