A-17-year- old Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 student of Good Shepherd Secondary School, Umuahia, Abia State, Obinna Nwatu, has narrated to the Police how he organised his own ‘abduction’ and the motives behind it.
Obinna who was recently arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Abia State Police Command, said he had connived with another young man to organise his own kidnap in order to extort money from his mother.
To perfect his plan, Obinna hid inside a hotel for three days while his gang member, Chinaza Ugorji demanded a ransom of N6 million from Obinna’s mum, Mrs Rose Nwatu.
Following pressure she received from Obinna’s gang member, the mother later paid N200,000 to the two-man gang at Okpuala Ngwa in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State.
“The saga started on September 17, 2021 when the suspect, Obinna Nwatu ‘abducted’ himself after meeting with a friend, Chinaza Ugorji a.k.a “Wizzy”, with whom he had been friends on Facebook since 2017”, Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Janet Agbede disclosed .
“They both planned on how to get money. And one of the ways to achieve that purpose, they reasoned, was to collect N6million from Obinna’s mother, Mrs Rose Nwatu,” CP Agbede said.
“The two decided to meet another teenager, 19-year-old Chinaza Favour Ukaigwe at the latter’s shop in Aba, Abia State and requested for his bank account details.
They told Chinaza that they wanted to use the bank account details to receive the school fees of their younger sister. The CP explained that Chinaza then gave them the bank account details.
“Also, the suspect, Obinna Nwatu. on September 17, went and hid himself inside a hotel along Rhema University Road, Aba. He stayed there for three days and his gang member, Chinaza Ugorji started calling Nwatu’s mother, Mrs Rose Nwatu, saying Obinna had been kidnapped and demanding a N6 million ransom”.
“After negotiations, the woman paid N200, 000 into the bank account of Chinaza Favour Ukaigwe. The suspect, Chinaza Ugorji, who is at large, went and withdrew the money and was nowhere to be found,” the police commissioner said.
