Police in Anambra State have arrested a couple, Mr. Okoye Kingsley (36) and Mrs. Chidinma Okoye (27), for allegedly extorting residents by sending threatening voice notes and text messages, claiming they would kidnap or kill their victims if ransom was not paid.
According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson in Anambra, the couple used multiple SIM cards to carry out their threats. The police acted on technology-driven intelligence, which led to their arrest in the early hours of Friday, November 29, 2024, in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The Joint Security Force, comprising the police and the Anti-Violence Group (AVG), arrested the couple with phones and SIM cards used in their extortion scheme. The Okoyes allegedly specialized in sending messages threatening people with abduction or death unless a ransom was paid.
Both suspects confessed to their crimes during questioning and admitted to destroying some of the SIM cards they had previously used. The State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the Anti-Kidnapping/Robbery Squad for further investigation. Once the investigation is concluded, the couple will be charged in court.
