Benue Police Uncover Staged Kidnap, Arrest 2 Women Over Ransom Plot

The Benue State Police Command has uncovered a staged self kidnapping plot and arrested two female suspects who allegedly conspired to deceive a family into paying ransom.

Police said on 15th July 2026, a report was received by the Command’s Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Makurdi, that one Miss Mary Torkuma of Akpehe, Makurdi, had left her apartment on 12th July 2026 to visit a friend at North Bank area of Makurdi.

According to the police, the following day, her mother, who resides in Lagos State, received a telephone call from an unknown number demanding ransom and claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped.

In a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, said upon receipt of the report, operatives of the VCRU immediately commenced an intelligence-driven investigation which led the team to a hotel in the Ankpa Quarters area of Makurdi, where the supposed victim, Mary Torkuma, was found alongside her accomplice, Miss Evergreen Samuel, who had travelled from Abia State.

The statement stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the two suspects allegedly conspired to stage the kidnapping with the intention of extorting money from the victim’s mother by falsely claiming that Mary had been abducted.

“The suspects are currently in police custody while investigation continues. They will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations”

The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu, warned the public against engaging in criminal acts, including the staging of false kidnapping incidents, stressing that such offences divert critical security resources from genuine emergencies and are punishable under the law.

The Command further assured residents of its commitment to intelligence-led policing and encourages members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police formation, “or through the Command’s emergency lines.”