The Benue State Police Command has arrested a woman and one of her associates over an alleged self-kidnap scheme after investigators uncovered what authorities described as a carefully planned attempt to extort money from her family through a fake abduction. The arrests followed an intelligence-led investigation that exposed inconsistencies in the reported kidnapping, police said. 

According to the police, the woman was initially reported missing by concerned relatives, who later received calls from individuals claiming she had been kidnapped. The callers allegedly demanded a ransom in exchange for her release, prompting security operatives to launch an intensive search and investigation.

Rather than treating the case as a routine abduction, detectives combined technical intelligence with field investigations to trace the origin of the ransom demands. Their findings reportedly revealed that the supposed victim had conspired with a trusted friend to stage the kidnapping in an effort to obtain money from members of her family.

Police said both suspects were arrested after investigators established their alleged roles in the plot. During interrogation, they were said to have made statements that assisted detectives in piecing together how the scheme was planned and executed. Authorities disclosed that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional findings could lead to further arrests if other accomplices are identified.

The command described the incident as another example of the growing trend of fabricated kidnapping cases designed to exploit public sympathy and extort relatives. It warned that such acts divert security resources away from genuine victims of violent crimes and place unnecessary pressure on law enforcement agencies already battling widespread insecurity.

Security experts note that intelligence-led policing and digital tracking have become increasingly effective in exposing staged kidnapping plots across Nigeria. Similar cases recorded in other states in recent months have seen suspects allegedly fake their own abductions or collaborate with associates to demand ransom from unsuspecting relatives before being apprehended by security agencies.

The Benue State Police Command reiterated its commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes through proactive investigations and community collaboration. Residents were urged to promptly report suspicious activities and avoid taking the law into their own hands, while the command assured the public that those found culpable in criminal conspiracies would face prosecution in accordance with the law.

Police added that the suspects remain in custody as investigations continue and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the inquiry.