Two Women Arrested for Fake Kidnapping in Benue

The Benue State Police have arrested two women for allegedly staging a fake kidnapping to extort money from a family.

The police spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, shared this information in a statement on Wednesday. It was made available to journalists in Makurdi.

Aondongu said one of the suspects, Mary Torkuma, lives in Akpehe, Makurdi. She left her home on July 12, 2026, to visit a friend, Miss Evergreen Samuel, at North Bank, a suburb of Makurdi.

The police spokesman explained that the two women plotted to trick Torkuma’s family into paying ransom by claiming she had been kidnapped.

The statement said, "On 15th July 2026, the Command’s Violence Crime Response Unit received a report that Miss Mary Torkuma of Akpehe, Makurdi, had left her apartment on 12th July 2026 to visit a friend in the North Bank area of Makurdi.

"The next day, her mother, who lives in Lagos State, received a call from an unknown number asking for ransom and claiming her daughter had been kidnapped."

Aondongu said the Violence Crime Response Unit began an investigation based on intelligence. This led them to a hotel in the Ankpa Quarters area of Makurdi, where they found Mary Torkuma and her accomplice, Evergreen Samuel.

He added that Samuel traveled from Abia State to join in the scheme.

Further investigation revealed that the suspects planned the fake kidnapping to extort money from Torkuma’s mother. They created the impression that she had been kidnapped.

Aondongu stated that the suspects are in police custody while investigations continue. They will be charged in court once the investigation is finished.

The statement included a warning from the Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu. He cautioned residents against getting involved in criminal activities, like staging fake kidnappings.

The commissioner pointed out that such crimes take away resources from real emergencies and are punishable under the law.

The police command assured residents of their commitment to intelligence-led policing. They encouraged the public to report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station.