“I kidnapped myself” — Delta police arrest a 54-year-old woman who staged her own kidnap to extort ₦15m
Photo: Delta State Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe · Photo: Punch (file photo)
Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe released a video on Tuesday in which the suspect admits the scheme — “I kidnapped myself” — after allegedly telling her younger brother gunmen had taken her and were demanding ₦15 million.
Key points
- The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 54-year-old woman, identified only as Umadi, for allegedly staging her own kidnapping to extort ₦15 million from her younger brother.
- Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed the arrest in a video released on Tuesday 10 November in which the suspect is seen admitting to the scheme: “I kidnapped myself.”
- She claimed she had been held captive for 12 days and said she needed the money to treat her leg; police say she did not act alone and are tracking alleged accomplices. No charges have been announced.
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 54-year-old woman, identified only as Umadi, for allegedly staging her own kidnapping to extort ₦15 million from her younger brother.
Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed the arrest in a video released on Tuesday 10 November in which the suspect is seen admitting to the scheme: “I kidnapped myself. I told my brother I had been kidnapped when I went out to buy medicine, and it took me to the bush.”
The case was reported at the Ogwashi-Uku Division on 23 October after she told her brother gunmen had abducted her and were demanding ₦15 million or they would kill her. The Commissioner of Police directed the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Ubulu-Uku to investigate, and intelligence work exposed the plot.
She claimed she had been held captive for 12 days and said she needed the money to treat her leg. Police say she did not act alone and are tracking alleged accomplices; no charges or arraignment date have been announced.
Edafe noted the command had handled staged kidnappings by teenagers before, “but we have never had a case involving a 54-year-old woman”. Fake kidnappings divert anti-kidnapping resources and cause panic — and the police say this one had accomplices.
Why this matters
“I kidnapped myself” is the quote of the week — a 54-year-old woman, a 12-day fake captivity, a brother who reported it instead of paying, and a police confession video.
Latest developments
First published 12 Nov 2026, 08:43 WAT.
Related coverage on NewsFlux:
- Two convicts scale the rear fence and walk out of Okene prison — manhunt under way · 10 Nov 2026, 19:47 WAT
- “I woke up to a ₦100m alert” — Portable claims Senator Yayi paid him ₦100m after APC campaign · 14 Nov 2026, 08:20 WAT
- Peller and Carter Efe lose streamer award to India's Ashswag — Phyna alleges Nigerians ‘used to run ads’ · 14 Nov 2026, 08:20 WAT
Sources
- Punch — Delta woman fakes kidnap to extort ₦15m from brother (11 Nov 2026)
- ThisDay — “I kidnapped myself”: Police arrest 54-year-old Delta woman for allegedly staging abduction to extort ₦15m from younger brother
- Leadership — 54-year-old woman stages 12-day kidnap in Delta, demands ₦15m from family
- Pulse Nigeria — Delta police arrest woman for fake kidnapping, ₦15m (11 Nov 2026)
She is identified only as 'Umadi'. The confession is as reported by police — use 'allegedly' for the scheme itself, since no charges have been announced. Do NOT present the accomplices as arrested — police say they are being tracked. NO embeddable confession video found: the three YouTube embeds located (Prompt News uSvc7L33-ps, Urhobo Today cRDkNeh4Yj4, Golden Nation imiGL2YS2uo) are all wrong videos, verified via oEmbed — do NOT embed any of them. The video is likely a native post on Edafe's X (@Brightgoldenboy) — needs a live-browser check.