- Edafe disclosed that the Command received a distress report about the abduction of a female victim by unknown armed men in the Bonsaac area of Asaba
The police in Delta State have arrested one Merit Eleh, a bride, for staging her own abduction to extort her family.
The 29-year-old newlywed woman was apprehended alongside her accomplices after the police uncovered their sinister plan.
The botched fake abduction was confirmed by the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe who stated that“what was initially believed to be a case of kidnapping but later turned out to be a self-abduction case”.
Addressing newsmen on Monday, he confirmed the arrest of all suspects involved in such criminal deceit, saying, “The law will take its full course.
Edafe disclosed that the Command received a distress report about the abduction of a female victim by unknown armed men in the Bonsaac area of Asaba, on July 21, 2025, at about 8:30 p.m.
He explained that the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, acted swiftly on the report and ordered the Commander of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad, CSP Godwin Osadolor, to lead a rescue operation, which paid off.
“What followed was a coordinated, intelligence-led effort that led to the arrest of one Alfred Elisha at Koka Roundabout and another suspect, Ugochukwu Adim, off DLA Road, both in Asaba, on July 22, 2025, around 9:00 a.m.
“Upon interrogation, Elisha confessed that the abduction was staged in collaboration with the so-called victim. This breakthrough led officers to the mastermind of the act, 29-year-old Merit Eleh.
“During questioning, Eleh admitted to faking her own kidnapping to extort money from her family. She confessed that her brother had given her a loan of ₦3.6 million to finance her bridal shower and hotel expenses for her March 2025 wedding,” he added.
But, unable to repay the debt, she came up with the fake kidnapping plan, according to her confession, got a ransom of ₦3 million, shared ₦500,000 with her accomplices, and kept the remaining ₦2.5 million for herself.
According to him, all suspects involved in the plot are currently detained by the police while investigations are still ongoing