From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Seventeen–year-old Obinna Nwatu, a senior secondary school 3 (SS3) student of in Abia State, has been arrested by operatives of Abia State Police Command for faking his own kidnap with intent to extort money from his mother, Mrs. Rose Nwatu.
Obinna, a native of Obikabia in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, claimed he feigned his abduction because of his mother’s stinginess.
Briefing newsmen in Umuahia, Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Janet Agbede, said on September 19, 2021, one Wisdom Nwatu of Obikabia in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, reported that on September 18, 2021 at about 1800hrs, his younger brother Obinna Nwatu of same address was kidnapped.
Agbede said Wisdom Nwatu informed the police that the alleged kidnapping took place along Stadium Road, Okpuala Ngwa, by hoodlums operating with ash colour Toyota Sienna family van.
According to the CP, Wisdom further stated that his younger brother went out to buy recharge card that evening when the purported incident occurred.
The Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command while investigating the case, on October 4, 2021, arrested one Chinaza Favour Ukaigwe, 19, whose bank account was used to receive a ransom of N200,000.
The CP disclosed that Ukaigwe revealed that Obinna Nwatu faked his own kidnap.
“He stated that Obinna Nwatu and one Favour Ugorji a.k.a. “Wizzy” came to his shop at Aba Road, Abia State and requested that he should give his bank account number to enable them receive the school fees of their younger sister.”
Further investigations revealed that Obinna Nwatu and Ugorji received through the account the sum of N200,000 paid in as ransom by Mrs. Rose Nwatu (mother of Obinna Nwatu).
It was gathered that Obinna Nwatu was not actually abducted. He conspired with Favour Ugorji a.k.a. “Wizzy (now at large) to deliberately go into hiding at a hotel along Rhema University Road, Aba.
“Obinna Nwatu, an SS3 student who lives in a boarding school decided to fake his own kidnap, claiming that his mother, Mrs Rose Nwatu is stingy. Obinna Nwatu also claimed that he met Favour Ugorji online in 2017, but had never been to his house or knew much about him other than Facebook conversations,”
Agbede advised parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and wards.