Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have arrested a female student of Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT), Chinecherem Nwaokoye and her boyfriend, Chinecherem Aronu, for allegedly orchestrating a fake kidnapping scheme to extort money from her parents.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led investigation by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) after a report of Nwaokoye’s alleged abduction. Police stormed a lodge at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Temp Site in Awka, where they found Nwaokoye alive and with Aronu.
According to the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Chinecherem Nwaokoye had informed her family she was returning home from school but never arrived, and her phone remained switched off. On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, her family received a call from an unknown male voice claiming responsibility for her kidnap and demanding a ransom of N10,000,000.
After negotiations, the ransom was reduced to N3,000,000, and a partial payment of N1,000,000 was reportedly made into Nwaokoye’s bank account.
Upon interrogation, both suspects confessed to staging the kidnapping to extort money from the victim’s family. Nwaokoye reportedly admitted to masterminding the elaborate plan after watching a movie, stating her intention was to give the money to her boyfriend to start a business.
Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, has condemned the incident, describing it as a “clear sign of deepening moral decay among some youths in the society.” He warned that the command would not tolerate such criminal deception and urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to their children’s activities and peer influences.
The Commissioner has directed that the suspects be charged to court without delay.
What are your thoughts on this incident, and do you believe the police warning to parents is sufficient?
