Family paid ₦3 million to free their 22-year-old daughter from kidnappers — police found her in a room in Asaba

• A family reportedly paid ₦3m after their 22-year-old daughter was allegedly kidnapped in Anambra

• Police traced Nwachukwu Chidubem Blessing to a room in Asaba weeks later

• The Anambra police allege she staged the kidnapping with two accomplices

A family in Anambra State reportedly paid ₦3 million to secure the release of a 22-year-old woman they believed had been kidnapped. Almost three weeks later, police say they found her alive in a room in Asaba, Delta State.

The woman, identified as Nwachukwu Chidubem Blessing, is now being investigated over allegations of conspiracy, fraud and self-kidnapping.

According to the Anambra State Police Command, Blessing was reportedly abducted along the Onitsha–Asaba Expressway on August 29, 2026. Her family subsequently paid ₦3 million in ransom, but the woman was allegedly not released. 

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That development prompted police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the reported kidnapping more closely. The investigation eventually led operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, to Asaba.

On the afternoon of September 18, police traced the alleged victim to a room in the Delta State capital and recovered her.

The command's spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Tochukwu Ikenga, said preliminary findings suggested that the reported kidnapping may have been staged. Police allege that Blessing worked with a female associate identified only as Onyinye and another male accomplice whose identity has not been established.

The command said the trio allegedly planned the abduction to obtain money from Blessing's family.

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Blessing is currently assisting investigators with information as police work to establish what happened and identify the alleged accomplices, who have not been arrested.

Anambra State Commissioner of Police CP Nnanna Oji Ama has ordered that the investigation be intensified and that anyone found culpable be brought to justice.

There is no indication in the police statement that Blessing has been formally charged in court, and the allegations against her have not been tested before a court.

The case is also not the first alleged case reported in Anambra. Blessing's arrest is the latest in a growing trend of self-kidnapping in Anambra State aimed at extorting relatives. 

In July 2025, police arrested 28-year-old university student Chinecherem Nwaokoye after alleging that she staged her kidnapping with two others and obtained ₦1 million from her family. Police said at the time that she had claimed the money was intended to raise capital for her boyfriend's proposed business.

Also in July, Michael James, a resident of Delta State, admitted to faking his abduction to extort ₦25 million from his family, explaining that he resorted to the scheme because he was unable to pay back debts owed to his siblings.

A month later, police announced the arrest of 23-year-old Nmesoma Josephine Nwoye and her boyfriend, Chibuike Ogbu, over another alleged staged kidnapping. Police said the pair initially demanded ₦15 million before ₦3 million was eventually paid by Nwoye's family.

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The latest case therefore comes against a backdrop of several reported attempts in Anambra to use alleged kidnappings to obtain money from relatives.

Kidnapping is punishable by severe penalties under Nigeria's Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Section 24 of the Act provides for life imprisonment where a kidnapping or hostage-taking offence does not result in death, and the death penalty where the act results in death.