According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the arrest followed a coordinated intelligence-led operation by officers of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad. The operation was initiated after the police received a report on July 21 about the alleged abduction of a female victim by unknown armed men in the Bonsaac area of Asaba.
Acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, operatives swung into action and arrested two male suspects — Alfred Elisha and Ugochukwu Adim — on July 22, 2025, at separate locations in Asaba.
During interrogation, one of the suspects confessed that the kidnapping was staged and not an actual crime. His statement led to the arrest of Merit Eleh, who admitted to orchestrating the fake abduction.
Eleh revealed that she had borrowed N3.6 million from her brother earlier in the year to finance her bridal shower and accommodation for her wedding, which took place in March 2025. Facing pressure to repay the debt, she allegedly devised a plan to fake her kidnapping and demand ransom.
