Story Of 17-Year-Old Boy Who Faked His Own ‘Kidnap’ And Demanded N6m Ransom From His Mum

A teenage boy and Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 student of Good Shepherd Secondary School, Umuahia, Abia State, identified as Obinna Nwatu, who recently organised his own ‘abduction’, has been telling the police the motive for faking his own kidnap.

The 17-year-old boy was recently arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Abia State Police Command. He had connived with another young man to organise his own kidnap in order to extort money from – wait for it – his mother!

Obinna hid inside a hotel for three days even as he allegedly conspired with his gang member, Chinaza Ugorji. They demanded a ransom of N6 million from Obinna’s mum, Mrs Rose Nwatu.

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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 Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Janet Agbede told Saturday Sun that 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.

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“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 police boss informed Saturday Sun that 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.

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CP Agbede explained further: “The incident was first reported at Isiala Ngwa Police Station on September 18, and the police started investigations immediately. Later it was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on October 4, 2021. The Anti-Kidnapping operatives swung into action and arrested Chinaza Favour Ukaigwe whose bank account Mrs Rose Nwatu paid the ransom of N200, 000 into.

“It was the victim, Chinaza Favour Ukaigwe who revealed that it was Obinna Nwatu and Chinaza Ugorji a.k.a “Wizzy” who came to his shop and collected his bank account details from him. That was what led the Anti-Kidnapping operatives to arrest Obinna Nwatu on October 7, 2021 and he confessed to have kidnapped himself.”

The suspect’s brother, Wisdom Nwatu also spoke to Saturday Sun: He said: “I went to Isiala Ngwa Police Station on September 18, 2021 and reported that my younger brother, Obinna Nwatu was kidnapped along Stadium Road, Okpuala Ngwo to an  unknown destination by  hoodlums operating in an Ash colour Sienna with an unknown registration number. My brother, Obinna Nwatu went to buy recharge card that evening when the incident occurred. It was later that the kidnappers called my mother and demanded a ransom of N6million. After much pressure, my mother paid N200, 000 into the bank account of the kidnappers.

“I was shocked when my brother. Obinna was arrested for the kidnapping. He confessed that he kidnapped himself to extort money from our mother, Mrs Rose Nwatu. Obinna is the black sheep in the family.”