A man identified as Michael James has confessed to staging his own abduction in Delta State in an attempt to extort ₦25 million from his family after spending money he owed his siblings.
James, who hails from Edo State but resides in Delta, made the confession during police interrogation after officers investigated a reported kidnapping incident.
According to the suspect, the incident began on July 1, 2026, when he was asked to dispose of refuse. Rather than return home, he abandoned his wheelbarrow and hid in a nearby bush.
He later contacted his mother and claimed he had been kidnapped, telling her that his alleged abductors were demanding ₦25 million for his release.
James said he subsequently contacted his family again, claiming that the supposed kidnappers were beating him and asking his mother to transfer ₦700,000 to them.
The plan began to unravel after his mother informed him that the police and local vigilantes had launched a search to rescue him.
According to his account, he became worried when he learnt that security operatives were closing in. He later left the bush on a motorcycle and moved to another location before contacting his family to claim that he had escaped from his captors.
The Delta State Police Command spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said the command responded to the distress call and deployed intelligence to trace the suspected location of the abduction.
Edafe explained that officers tracked James to the area where he had allegedly hidden. The suspect reportedly emerged from the bush claiming to have escaped before later admitting that he had staged the incident.
During interrogation, James said he had borrowed money from his brother and sister, spent it and had no means of paying it back, prompting him to devise the scheme.
The incident highlights the risks of fabricated kidnapping reports, which can trigger security operations and cause considerable distress to families.
