Delta bride fakes own kidnap after lavishing brother’s N3.6m on bridal shower

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 27-year-old lady identified as Merit Alice who confessed to kidnapping herself in order to repay a N3.6 million entrusted to her by her brother (name withheld).

Alice, in her confession, on Monday said her brother had given her the money to help him buy tricycle but she instead used the money for her bridal shower and hotel expenses for friends during her wedding in March.

Alice maintained that she had planned with two other accomplices to mastermind the act when her brother was pushing to get back the money he had given to her.

Narrating the incident in a video posted on X, the command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, said, “On July 20, Alice told her husband that she was coming, only to hear that he has been kidnapped.

“A ransom of N3 million was paid after several calls. The husband followed up on the case at the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Squad, and we continued to work until we arrested one of the suspects who eventually let the cat out of the bag.”

Alice further stressed that she masterminded the plan with two other persons, one of whom was Peter who work as security personnel where she had previously worked.

“My husband and my brothers raised the N3 million ransom that we demanded. After which I went to a POS woman’s shop to cash out the money. I took N2.5 million and gave my accomplices N500,000,” she continued.

She regretted her action while attributing it to pressure that was coming to repay the money her brother gave her.

Edafe, however, hailed the personnel who unravelled the incident while conducting a proper investigation.