How ESUT Student Tried to Scam Her Family with Fake Kidnap – Anambra Police

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The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two individuals for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping in a failed attempt to extort ₦10 million from a family.

The suspects, identified as Chinecherem Okonkwo, a 28-year-old female student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), and 30-year-old Chinecherem Aronu, were said to have conspired to fake Okonkwo’s abduction. The duo reportedly used a disguised male voice to demand a ransom from her family.

This was made known in a statement released on Monday by the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga.

According to the statement, officers of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) acted on intelligence to track the alleged victim to a lodge at the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, where she was found safe and in the company of her male accomplice.

Ikenga said, “The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspects involved in a self-orchestrated kidnap incident designed to extort money from the victim’s own family.”

“The suspects are Chinecherem Okonkwo ‘f’ age 28 years old and Chinecherem Aronu ‘m’ age 30 years old.”

“Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, acting on an intelligence-led investigation of a disturbing report of alleged abduction of Chinecherem Nwaokoye, a female student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), stormed a lodge located at UNIZIK Temp Site, Awka, where the victim was found alive and in the company of her male accomplice.”

Ikenga explained that the family had initially received a message from Okonkwo on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, informing them that she was heading home from school. However, she never arrived, and her phone was switched off.

“On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, her family received a call from an unknown male voice who claimed responsibility for her kidnapping and demanded a ransom of ₦10 million only,” the statement read.

“After negotiations, the ransom was reduced to ₦3,000,000, and a part payment of ₦1,000,000 was later paid into the victim’s bank account.”

During interrogation, both suspects reportedly confessed to orchestrating the fake kidnapping. According to Ikenga, Okonkwo admitted to being inspired by a movie and planned to hand over the money to her boyfriend to start a business.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed that the suspects be charged to court without delay and condemned the incident as a clear sign of deepening moral decay among some youths in the society,” Ikenga added.

“He warned that the Command will not tolerate such criminal deception and called on parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the activities and peer influence on their children.”

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