54-year-old woman fakes own kidnapping to extort ₦15m from brother, says she needed money for leg treatment

• Delta Police arrested a 54-year-old woman accused of staging her own kidnapping to demand ₦15 million from her younger brother.

• She reportedly confessed to arranging the fake abduction and said she needed the money to treat her leg.

• Police say she did not act alone and are searching for other people allegedly involved in the scheme.

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 54-year-old woman, identified as Umadi, for allegedly staging her own kidnapping to extort ₦15 million from her younger brother.

The command's spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a video released on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in which the suspect is seen admitting to the scheme. She was paraded by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area.

According to Edafe, the case was reported at the Ogwashi-Uku Police Division on October 23, 2026, after the woman contacted her brother, claiming she had been abducted by unknown gunmen on her way to buy medicine. She told him her abductors were demanding ₦15 million for her release and threatened to kill her if the ransom was not paid.

The Commissioner of Police directed the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to investigate. Police said intelligence gathered by the operatives showed that the kidnapping was fabricated by the woman herself. During interrogation, she reportedly confessed to arranging the fake abduction and claimed she had been held captive for 12 days.

In the video, the woman said someone advised her to carry out the act to obtain money from her family. "It was the devil's work. I want forgiveness," she said, according to reports. There are also allegations that she said she needed the money to treat her leg.

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Edafe said the command had handled fake kidnappings involving teenagers before, but never one involving a 54-year-old woman. He said she did not act alone, and that police were still on the trail of the others involved.

He commended the younger brother for reporting the matter to the police instead of paying the ransom, and urged the public to alert security agencies whenever they receive kidnapping threats involving relatives.

The police said the arrest is part of efforts to clamp down on fake kidnapping cases, which divert security resources and cause panic.

The police did not say what charges she faces or when she will be arraigned.