Samuel Ekezie, a 38-year-old personnel of the 302 Artillery Regiment, Nigerian Army, Onitsha, has been taken into custody by operatives of the Anambra Police Command for faking his own abduction in an attempt to extort money from his relatives.
Ekezie was apprehended after police investigations revealed that he attempted to obtain ₦20 million from his family members through a staged kidnapping.
As learnt, the military man was arrested at his hideout in Rivers State after intelligence gathered by the police traced him to the location where he was waiting for the ransom to be paid.
The command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this on Tuesday following a report from Ekezie’s family, who received a text message from him demanding the ransom for his release.
He said, “The Anambra State Police Command on the evening of 15th September 2025 took custody of one Samuel Ekezie, male, 38 years old, a personnel of the 302 Artillery Regiment, Nigerian Army, Onitsha. The suspect allegedly staged his own kidnapping to extort money from his family members.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that on 15th August 2025, the suspect faked his abduction and sent a text message to his family demanding a ransom of twenty million naira (₦20,000,000) for his supposed release. Acting on technology-driven intelligence, he was arrested at his hideout in Rivers State.
“Given the above, the Command assures diligent investigations into the case to ensure that justice is served.”
