It was learnt that the pregnant woman conspired with one Walter Ezeala to fake her own kidnap and demanded the sum of N2 million from her husband.
A pregnant woman identified as Rosemary Ubah has been arrested for allegedly faking her own kidnap at Saburi II Dei-dei, Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory.
It was learnt that the pregnant woman conspired with one Walter Ezeala to fake her own kidnap and demanded the sum of N2 million from her husband.
The two suspects were arrested on March 11 after Rosemary’s husband, Chiedozie Ubah, reported to Gwagwa Police Division that his pregnant wife who left home for a scan, had not returned home.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, while parading the suspects at the Command’s headquarters on Wednesday, said the sum of seven hundred and ninety-three thousand, and five hundred naira (N793,500) cash, two FCMB ATM cards and two Android phones were recovered from them.
He added that the suspects would be charged soon.
He said, "On 11/03/2024 at about 19:40hrs, one Chiedozie Ubah ‘m’ of Saburi II Dei-dei, Abuja, reported at Gwa Gwa division that his pregnant wife Rosemary Ubah left home to the hospital on the same date for a scan but did not return home.
“He later received a call through his wife’s phone number telling him that his wife had been kidnapped and demanded two (2) million naira ransom before her release.
"He transferred the sum of two (2) million naira into his wife’s account as instructed by the kidnapper. He later brought his wife to the station after her release. During interrogation, the wife freely confessed to having conspired with one man named Walter Ezeala ‘m’ living in the same street with them at Saburi to extort money from her husband.
"The said Walter was arrested and he confessed that his own share was eight hundred thousand (N800,000) naira and the lady took one million and two hundred thousand naira (N1,200,000). The sum of seven hundred and ninety-three thousand five hundred naira (N793,500) cash, two (2) FCMB ATM cards and two Android phones were recovered from them. Suspects will be charged in court soon.
"Similarly, on 14/03/2023 at about 5:30 PM, one Akuh Chinemezeh reported at APO Divisional Headquarters that his younger brother, one Pascal Akuh, 28, called him saying he was arrested by police and taken to SCID custody.
"On the strength of this, the police and suspect’s family went to SCID, IRT and FCID detention facilities, only to discover that he is not in any of the aforementioned facilities. With the help of a tracker using coordinates, the suspect’s vehicle was traced to an area in Wumba, Apo.
"Acting on this intelligence, the police operatives from Apo Division swiftly mobilised to the scene, searched the entire axis and subsequently traced the suspect to a hotel in Lokogoma later in the night and arrested the suspect. During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he only faked his own kidnap to prank the lady he intended to marry to know if she really loved him. The suspect is to be arraigned in court soon.”
"At this juncture, I want to conclude by reassuring you that the FCT Police Command, under my leadership, will do all within our power to prevent crime and criminality in all of its forms and ensure the safety of all. This can be effectively achieved only with the utmost cooperation of the residents of FCT," the statement added.