Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta State (APC-Delta) has called on security agencies to prosecute anyone involved in fake kidnappings, saying such acts harm public trust and waste important security resources.

The senator, representing Delta North Senatorial District, spoke in Abuja on Thursday about the worrying rise of staged abductions in the area.

He revealed that he recently received a call from a parent whose son was said to have been kidnapped, accompanied by a viral video showing the young man in a forest in Aniocha North.

“I immediately alerted the police and local vigilantes for a rescue,” Nwoko said, “but investigations showed the young man had faked his own kidnapping. This is a reckless and criminal act that goes against the values of our people in Delta North and must not be allowed to continue.”

He added that fake kidnappings traumatize families, waste vital security resources, reduce public trust, and make it harder for real victims to get help. Nwoko urged security agencies to ensure the culprits are punished to show that such deceit has no place in society.