…I want to marry her; my friend sent the threat messages’

By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA—A man in his early 30s, identified as Michael Alozie, has been arrested by soldiers of the 144 Battalion stationed at Ngwa High School, Aba, Abia State, for allegedly conniving with a Senior Secondary 1 student to fake her kidnap and demanding ransom from her parents.

The suspect, who claimed that the SS 1 student was his girlfriend, was arrested at Chokoneze, Mbaise, Imo State, by a team of soldiers, who stormed the village after investigations revealed that they were hiding in the area.

Vanguard gathered that Alozie had threatened the girl’s parents through repeated calls and text messages, demanding a ransom of N1.5 million or they will lose their daughter.

On interrogation, Alozie claimed that he planned to marry the student and blamed his friend, now at large, for sending threat messages to the parents of the girl, demanding ransom.

He  allegedly impregnated the student and threatened to kill her if her parents failed to pay.

However, the parents who did not know that their daughter was part of the plot and was pregnant for the suspect, agreed to pay N1 million as ransom as the suspect continued to threaten them.

While playing along with Alozie, the parents alerted soldiers who traced the suspect to their hideout at Chokoneze, Mbaise, where the girl was also arrested.

According to a medical report Vanguard obtained, the student was confirmed to be five months pregnant for her lover.