Two women arrested in Makurdi over staged kidnapping extortion scheme
Police in Benue State have arrested Mary Torkuma and Evergreen Samuel for allegedly faking a kidnapping to extort ransom money from Torkuma's mother in Lagos.
Officers from the Benue State Police Command have apprehended two women suspected of masterminding a fraudulent abduction plot to extract funds from relatives. Evergreen Samuel, who hails from Abia State, and Mary Torkuma, residing in Akpehe within Makurdi, were detained following inquiries conducted by the command's Violence Crime Response Unit.
On July 12, 2026, Torkuma left her residence, stating her intention to meet with Samuel in the North Bank region near Makurdi. When the next day arrived, an unknown caller contacted her mother—domiciled in Lagos State—with a ransom demand.
The family then brought this matter to the police's attention on July 15, 2026. An intelligence-driven probe undertaken by Benue police operatives culminated in both suspects being apprehended.
According to law enforcement allegations, the pair colluded to trick relatives into accepting that an actual abduction was underway. Police spokesman DSP Peter Aondongu provided a formal statement documenting the apprehensions and relevant details surrounding this incident.
The arrested individuals remain held by police while their case undergoes further investigation. This incident exemplifies ongoing criminal activity involving families across Nigeria through false abduction threats—a pattern that has impacted numerous communities recently.
Sources
- Daily Trust — Two women arrested for allegedly staging fake kidnap in Benue
- Punch Newspapers — Benue woman, friend arrested over alleged self-kidnap
- Punch Newspapers — Police arrest two women for staging fake kidnap in Benue
