Delta State police have arrested a 22-year-old man, Michael James, for allegedly staging his own kidnapping and demanding a N25 million ransom from his family. In separate operations, the command also rescued a two-week-old baby from suspected child traffickers and arrested two individuals for spreading false information online about a fatal road crash.
Man Confesses to Faking Abduction
According to a statement by the police spokesperson, Superintendent Bright Edafe, the arrest followed a distress report on 1 July at about 7:30 a.m. that Michael James had gone out along Idumuesah/Owa-Alero Road to dispose of refuse but failed to return home. His family later received a N25 million ransom demand from persons claiming to have abducted him.
Commissioner of Police Yemi Oyeniyi said police operatives used technically generated intelligence to cordon off surrounding bushes where the suspect was believed to be hiding. “On noticing that they were closing in on him, suspect suddenly came out from the bush claiming he escaped from his abductors,” Oyeniyi said. However, during interrogation, James allegedly confessed to orchestrating the abduction, stating that he had spent money given to him by his sister and planned the fake kidnap to raise funds to replace it. The police said the suspect remains in custody pending further investigations.
Two-Week-Old Baby Rescued from Traffickers
In a separate operation, operatives attached to the Ozoro Division rescued a two-week-old baby boy and arrested two women, Evelyn Otubo and Esther Joseph, for alleged child trafficking. The baby’s mother reported that after giving birth on 15 June, a woman identified only as “Mama,” with whom she lived and worked, told her the baby would be taken to an orphanage. The mother became suspicious after being repeatedly denied access to the child and reported the matter to the police. Investigations led to the arrest of Otubo and Joseph, who were allegedly in possession of the baby while waiting for an intended buyer. The baby was rescued unharmed and reunited with the mother.
Two Arrested Over False Crash Narrative
The command also announced the arrest of Egoh Best Akpobome, 35, and Omonigho Jitobor, 42, for circulating false reports linking police officers to a fatal road traffic crash on 27 June along the Ughelli-Patani Expressway near Setraco Company in Ughelli. Social media posts falsely claimed that police officers arrested a suspect driving an unregistered vehicle, took possession of it, and later crashed it, resulting in the death of a woman.
Police investigations established that the accident involved a newly purchased unregistered Mercedes-Benz GLK SUV allegedly driven by a civilian, Agofure Gift, 27. The vehicle rammed into a commercial tricycle, killing Catherine Umokoro, 51, and leaving four others injured. “At no time was any police vehicle, or police team involved in the accident, nor was the vehicle driven by a police officer,” Oyeniyi said. He added that intelligence gathering and digital forensic investigations led to the arrest of the two suspects, who allegedly originated and disseminated the false narrative online. They remain in custody and will be charged to court after investigations conclude.
Background: Recent Police Breakthroughs
The latest arrests add to recent successes by the Delta State police command. In June, police arrested four suspected gun runners linked to investigations into the extrajudicial killing of Oghenemine Ogidi, and confirmed that dismissed officers implicated in the case would face prosecution. Earlier in April, operatives arrested two suspected kidnappers who terrorised commuters along the Ughelli-Warri Road and recovered an AK-47 rifle with 36 rounds of live ammunition, underscoring the command’s sustained crackdown on crime across the state.
