The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 31-year-old man, Chukwuemeka Destiny, for allegedly planning the kidnap of the aunt who raised him from childhood.
Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed the case during a parade of suspects on Saturday, April 25.
According to the police, the woman took Destiny into her home when he was about five years old and cared for him for several years.
Authorities alleged that the suspect later returned to her house with plans to organise her abduction.
Edafe described the incident as a disturbing betrayal of someone who had shown care and support.
Police said the suspect allegedly made two separate payments connected to the plot, first ₦200,000 and later ₦700,000.
However, the plan reportedly collapsed after the men he contacted were said not to be actual kidnappers.
Instead of carrying out the crime, they allegedly used him as bait and handed him over to the police.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly admitted involvement and expressed regret.
He allegedly told investigators he did not know what came over him.
The aunt, identified as his mother’s elder sister, said she was shocked and heartbroken after learning of the alleged plot.
She reportedly called for the law to take its full course despite their family relationship.
The suspect is currently in custody of the Delta State Police Command’s tactical unit while investigations continue.
The case has generated strong reactions online, with many Nigerians condemning the alleged betrayal and calling it a worrying sign of rising greed and criminal desperation.
