Benue State Police Arrest Two Women Over Fake Kidnapping Scheme

The Benue State Police Command announced the arrest of two women, Mary Torkuma of Akpehe, Makurdi, and Evergreen Samuel, for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping to extort ransom from Torkuma’s mother in Lagos. The incident was reported to the Violence Crime Response Unit on 15 July 2026 after the mother received a phone call demanding payment.

Police investigations, led by DSP Peter Aondongu, traced the suspects to a hotel in the Ankpa Quarters area of Makurdi, where both women were found. Evergreen Samuel had travelled from Abia State to participate in the scheme. The suspects remain in custody pending charges, and Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu warned that such fraudulent kidnappings divert resources from genuine emergencies and are punishable under Nigerian law.