The Delta State Police Command has taken a 22-year-old man, Michael James, into custody after he allegedly orchestrated his own kidnapping in an attempt to manipulate his family out of N25 million.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyeniyi, shared the details during a media briefing in Asaba. According to authorities, James went missing on July 1 after leaving his home under the guise of disposing of waste. Shortly after, his relatives received a massive ransom demand of N25 million.

Law enforcement operatives mobilized to the area and tracked the suspect using technical intelligence. As officers surrounded nearby bushes, James emerged and claimed he had managed to break free from his captors.

However, during police interrogation, he confessed to fabricating the entire plot to replace funds belonging to his sister that he had previously spent.