An 18-year-old girl, Obehi Odine, has been arrested by operatives of the Edo State Police Command for allegedly staging her own kidnapping and demanding a ₦10 million ransom.
The arrest was confirmed on Tuesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, in a statement made available to journalists in Benin City.
According to the police spokesperson, the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Ekpoma Division on January 12, 2026, following a report of a suspected kidnapping along Old INEC Road, Ekpoma, received around noon the same day.
“Following a report of a suspected kidnapping along Old INEC Road, Ekpoma, received at about noon on 12th January, 2026, the new DPO immediately swung into action and deployed operational resources to track the caller,” Ikoedem said.
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She explained that a combination of technical intelligence and field investigations led to the arrest of the suspect, with findings later revealing that the alleged abduction was self-orchestrated.
“The investigation later revealed a case of self-kidnapping,” the police spokesperson stated, adding that Odine has confessed to the crime, admitting that the incident was deliberately fabricated to extort money.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, warned members of the public against filing false kidnapping reports or engaging in other deceptive acts.
Agbonika noted that such actions waste critical security resources, divert attention from genuine emergencies, create unnecessary panic, and undermine public confidence in security agencies.
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He vowed that anyone caught engaging in such acts would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The CP also reiterated the Command’s commitment to technology-driven policing, aggressive forest dominance, and intelligence-led operations to dismantle criminal networks across Edo State.
He further urged residents to continue supporting the police by providing timely and credible information to enhance security across the state.