A married woman identified as Oluchi, whose reported abduction sparked a public fundraising campaign for ransom payment, has been found in a hotel in Delta State alongside a man alleged to be her lover, bringing an unexpected twist to what was initially believed to be a kidnapping case.
According to reports, Oluchi, a businesswoman based at Ramat Park in Benin City, Edo State, was declared missing on May 27, 2026. Her family subsequently raised alarm, claiming she had been kidnapped in the Ikpoba Hill area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.
Her husband, Mr. Tony, reported the alleged abduction to the police after the family reportedly received calls from unknown persons demanding a ransom of ₦50 million for her release.
In a bid to secure her freedom, family members launched an online and public appeal for financial assistance. Her daughter, Anita, who resides in Canada, reportedly spearheaded the fundraising effort, while members of the Harmony Ladies Club, to which Oluchi belongs, also joined campaigns seeking support from the public.
However, police investigations later uncovered a different narrative.
According to sources cited by Punch, investigators traced the phone number used in making the ransom demands to a hotel located in Ubiaroko, Delta State. Upon arriving at the hotel, operatives allegedly found Oluchi in the company of a man identified as Israel Ability.
“Police traced the number of the man to a hotel in Ubiaroko, Delta State. They met the man and the kidnapped woman inside a hotel,” a source reportedly disclosed.
The woman’s husband was subsequently informed of the discovery, bringing an end to days of anxiety and public concern over her whereabouts.
Reacting to the development, Anita expressed shock and disappointment in a video that has since circulated widely on social media, describing the revelation as devastating for the family.
Meanwhile, Harmony Ladies Club issued a public statement distancing itself from Oluchi following the outcome of the police investigation.
In the statement, the club said it acted in good faith when news of her alleged abduction emerged, providing emotional, logistical and financial support during what members believed was a genuine life-threatening situation.
The group said it felt betrayed after learning through police investigations that the alleged kidnapping was staged, adding that it was disassociating itself from Oluchi over the incident.
The statement read in part: “It is with a profound sense of betrayal that we have now discovered, through official investigations, that the entire kidnapping incident was completely faked and staged by Mrs. Oluchi herself.”
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, CSP Moses Yamu, said four suspects had been arrested in connection with the case, while investigations are ongoing.
The incident has generated widespread reactions on social media, with many questioning the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and the public fundraising campaign that followed.
