The Benue State Police Command has arrested two women for allegedly orchestrating a fake kidnapping in a bid to extort ransom from the family of one of the suspects, exposing what investigators described as a carefully planned self-abduction scheme.
The suspects, Mary Torkuma and her friend, Evergreen Samuel, were arrested after operatives of the command’s Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) uncovered the alleged plot during an intelligence-led investigation in Makurdi.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the investigation commenced after a report was received on July 15 that Torkuma, a resident of Akpehe in Makurdi, had gone missing after leaving her residence on July 12 to visit Samuel in the North Bank area of the state capital.
According to Aondongu, the following day, Torkuma’s mother, who resides in Lagos State, received a telephone call from an unknown number demanding ransom and claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped.
“On 15th July, 2026, a report was received by the Command’s Violence Crime Response Unit, Makurdi, that one Miss Mary Torkuma of Akpehe, Makurdi, had left her apartment on 12th July, 2026, to visit a friend at the North Bank area of Makurdi. The following day, her mother, who resides in Lagos State, received a telephone call from an unknown number demanding ransom and claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped,” Aondongu stated.
He said detectives immediately launched an intelligence-driven investigation, which led them to a hotel in the Ankpa Quarters area of Makurdi, where Torkuma was found together with Samuel.
Investigators also discovered that Samuel had travelled from Abia State to Benue to allegedly participate in the scheme.
According to the police, preliminary findings indicated that the two women conspired to stage the fake abduction with the intention of deceiving Torkuma’s mother into paying ransom.
“Further investigation revealed that the two suspects allegedly planned the fake kidnapping to extort money from the victim’s mother by creating the false impression that her daughter had been abducted,” the police spokesman said.
Aondongu disclosed that both suspects remain in police custody while investigations continue, adding that they would be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, warned residents against engaging in criminal acts, including staging false kidnapping incidents for financial gain.
The Commissioner noted that fake kidnapping cases divert critical security resources from genuine emergencies and undermine ongoing efforts to combat violent crimes across the state.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and urged members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or other security agencies.
