The Delta State command of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested a 29-year-old woman, Merit Eleh, and her accomplices for allegedly staging her own abduction and collecting a ransom of ₦3 million from her unsuspecting relatives.
The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, disclosed the arrest in a statement issued on Monday in Asaba, the state capital.
According to the police, the suspect confessed to masterminding the fake abduction in a bid to recover ₦3.6 million she borrowed from her brother to fund her bridal shower and hotel expenses during her wedding in March 2025.
“She confessed that the money loaned to her by her brother of about ₦3.6m was used to sponsor her bridal shower and hotel expenses,” Edafe said.
Naija News understands that to repay the debt, Merit allegedly connived with her boyfriend and others to fake her kidnap, demanding and successfully receiving a ₦3 million ransom, out of which she kept ₦2.5 million, while her accomplices shared ₦500,000.
Edafe revealed that the command received a report on July 21, 2025, concerning the purported kidnapping of a female victim in the Ajaji (Bonsaac) Layout of Asaba.
In response, the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, directed the Commander of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad, SP Godwin Osadolor, to ensure the victim’s rescue and arrest the perpetrators.
Through what the command described as a coordinated, intelligence-driven operation, police operatives arrested one Alfred Elisha at the Koka Roundabout and another suspect, Ugochukwu Adim, off DLA Road in Asaba, on July 22, 2025.
“Upon arrest of the suspects, Alfred Elisha confessed that it was not a case of actual kidnapping but a plot between the victim and himself,” Edafe stated.
Following the confession, police arrested Merit Eleh, who corroborated the account and admitted to planning her own abduction.
The police confirmed that all suspects involved in the staged kidnapping had been arrested and were currently in custody.
“The investigation is ongoing, and all parties involved will be charged to court accordingly,” Edafe added.
The command also used the opportunity to warn residents against indulging in such criminal deception, noting that anyone caught attempting to manipulate security agencies or waste public resources would face the full weight of the law.
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