Joy Anyim
Police operatives, attached to the Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) Ogun State Annex, have successfully rescued an American citizen (name withheld), who was held against her wish in a Lagos hotel for 15 months.
It was gathered that the victim who is from Washington DC, USA, and a retired civil servant in the US, arrived Nigeria on February 13, 2019, to visit her Facebook lover, Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku, 34, a native of Ikeduru LGA of Imo State.
A statement on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba revealed that the victim was rescued based on information received from a patriotic and civic minded Nigerian in the Meran area of Lagos State.
“ The rescue of the American lady is coming on the heels of a similar case of abducted Philippino lady who was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover whom she equally met on Facebook.
“ Investigations reveal that the suspect, Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku is a graduate of Business Administration and Management and an internet fraudster who has defrauded many unsuspecting members of the public both locally and internationally.
“ Chukwuebuka deliberately lured the victim into the country under the pretext of love and deceitfully married her May 15, 2019. He subsequently held her captive in a hotel, extorted from her monies amounting to a total of 48,000-USD.
“ He also forcefully collected and took control of her credit and debit cards as well as the operation of her bank accounts including the receipt of her monthly retirement benefits and allowances over the period of 15months. Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies,” Mba said.
Mba said the suspect will be charged to court on conclusion of investigation and prosecuted in line with the Cybercrime Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015.
