The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly staging his own kidnapping to extort N25 million from his family, and has rescued a two-week-old baby from suspected child traffickers.

The command also said operatives arrested two people accused of spreading false information linking the police to a fatal road crash in Ughelli.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, disclosed the developments during a press briefing in Asaba on Saturday.

He said the command remained committed to intelligence-led policing and to tackling both conventional crimes and emerging threats such as misinformation.

According to him, Michael James, 22, allegedly faked his abduction after leaving home on July 1 under the pretext of disposing of refuse.

His family later reported him missing, claiming kidnappers had demanded a N25 million ransom.

The police boss said operatives were deployed to the area, acting on technical intelligence, and surrounded nearby bushes before the suspect emerged, claiming he had escaped from his abductors.

The CP said the suspect later confessed during interrogation that he staged the kidnapping after spending money given to him by his sister and wanted to raise funds to replace it.

He said the suspect is still in police custody.

The commissioner also announced the arrest of two suspects, Egoh Best Akpobome, 35, and Omonigho Jitobor, 42, for allegedly originating and circulating false social media reports linking police officers to a fatal road crash on the Ughelli-Patani Expressway on June 27.

Oyeniyi said investigations established that the crash involved a civilian driving a newly purchased, unregistered Mercedes-Benz GLK SUV, which rammed into a commercial tricycle, killing 51-year-old Catherine Umokoro and injuring four others.

The police boss insisted that no police personnel or vehicle was involved in the accident.

In a separate operation, CP Oyeniyi said the police rescued a two-week-old baby boy and arrested two women, Evelyn Otubo and Esther Joseph, over alleged child trafficking.

He said the baby’s mother told police she was informed by a woman identified only as “Mama” that her newborn would be taken to an orphanage, but she was later denied access to the child.

He said investigations led to the arrest of the suspects, who were allegedly waiting to hand the baby over to an intending buyer.

He said the child was rescued unharmed and reunited with the mother.

CP Oyeniyi urged residents to remain vigilant against child traffickers and warned families to watch for relatives who might stage kidnappings for financial gain.

In a separate development, the police boss said that during a coordinated enforcement operation in Agbor on July 3, officers impounded 31 vehicles for offences including non-display and 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 Agbor metropolis, major highways and border communities between Delta and Edo states.

The commissioner said the enforcement exercise would continue as part of efforts to strengthen public safety, prevent crime and ensure compliance with traffic and vehicle registration laws. (The Nation)

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