GBAM! 23-Year-Old Man Arrested After Plotting K¡dnap of His 16-Year-Old Girlfriend For N50m Ransom
The Delta State Police Command arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly eloped with his 16-year-old girlfriend in Asaba before he and his friends turned the situation into a fake kidnapping and demanded a ₦50 million ransom from her family.
Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe said the girl was initially reported missing from an estate, prompting the police to launch efforts to locate and rescue her. However, investigators later discovered that she had been taken away by her boyfriend.
During questioning, the girl said her boyfriend had previously pressured her to participate in a plan to make her family believe she had been kidnapped so they could demand money, but she refused. She said: “He pressured, and I said no.”
According to her, she only realised she had actually been kidnapped after her boyfriend’s friend took her phone and later returned it.
Upon checking her chats, she discovered that her mother had been contacted and asked to send ₦50,000 for her feeding.
She said she confronted her boyfriend about the message, after which she was eventually taken to a riverside.
The girl said that she was held close to the water, with her legs touching it, and was threatened with being thrown into the river if her mother failed to pay ₦15 million. She also said the suspects mentioned a man identified as Mr Theophilus as the alleged mastermind.
However, police investigations reportedly revealed that Theophilus, a co-landlord in the estate, had been framed. He was arrested and detained for two days before the truth emerged.
The 23-year-old suspect admitted that he and his friend had initially discussed kidnapping the girl for ransom but claimed they later changed their minds. He said his friend, however, proceeded with the plan after seeing the girl.
He also admitted that the girl stayed at his residence for four days.
The police described the case as unfortunate, noting that the suspect is 23 while the girl is 16 and that he had been sexually involved with her, which is illegal. The police also urged parents to pay closer attention to their children and wards.
