The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly staging his own abduction in a bid to extort N25 million from his family and rescued a two-week-old baby from suspected child traffickers.
The command also arrested two individuals accused of originating and circulating false social media reports alleging that police officers were involved in a fatal road crash in Ughelli.
The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Yemi Oyeniyi, disclosed the developments during a press briefing in Asaba on Saturday, saying the command remained committed to intelligence-led policing and tackling both conventional crimes and emerging threats such as misinformation.
Oyeniyi said the 22-year-old suspect, identified as Michael James, allegedly staged his own kidnap after leaving home on July 1 under the pretext of disposing of refuse. His family subsequently reported him missing and informed police that his alleged abductors had demanded a N25 million ransom.
According to the commissioner, police operatives, acting on technical intelligence, deployed to the area and surrounded nearby bushes, where the suspect later emerged claiming he had escaped from his abductors.
He said James later confessed during interrogation that he fabricated the kidnap after spending money entrusted to him by his sister and sought to obtain funds to replace it. The suspect remains in police custody, Oyeniyi added.
The commissioner also announced the arrest of Egoh Best Akpobome, 35, and Omonigho Jitobor, 42, over their alleged roles in originating and circulating false reports linking police officers to a fatal road crash along the Ughelli–Patani Expressway on June 27.
He said investigations established that the accident involved a civilian driving a newly purchased, unregistered Mercedes-Benz GLK SUV, which collided with a commercial tricycle, killing 51-year-old Catherine Umokoro and injuring four others.
Oyeniyi maintained that no police personnel or vehicle was involved in the crash.
In a separate operation, the commissioner said police rescued a two-week-old baby boy and arrested two women, identified as Evelyn Otubo and Esther Joseph, over alleged child trafficking.
According to him, the baby’s mother told investigators that a woman identified only as “Mama” had informed her that the newborn would be taken to an orphanage. She later became suspicious after she was denied access to the child.
Oyeniyi said investigations led to the arrest of the suspects, who were allegedly waiting to hand the baby over to a prospective buyer. The baby was rescued unharmed and reunited with the mother.
The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant against child trafficking and cautioned families to be alert to cases where individuals might stage kidnappings for financial gain.
Meanwhile, Oyeniyi said police impounded 31 vehicles during a coordinated enforcement operation conducted in Agbor on July 3 for offences including non-display or obstruction of number plates, expired vehicle documents and other traffic violations.
He said the operation, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, covered the Agbor metropolis, major highways and border communities between Delta and Edo states.
According to the commissioner, the enforcement exercise will continue as part of efforts to improve public safety, prevent crime and ensure compliance with traffic and vehicle registration laws.
