By Police operatives have rescued an American citizen who was confined in a hotel in Lagos State for more than one year.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, the Nigeria Police said the victim who hails from Washington DC and is a retired civil servant in the US, was held at the hotel against her wish.
She was said to have arrived in Nigeria on February 13, 2019, on a visit to one Chukwuebuka Obiaku, a 34-year-old native of Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, whom she met on Facebook.
The police, however, said the American was rescued by operatives attached to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Ogun State Annex following information received from a patriotic 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,” the Force said.
According to the police, Chukwuebuka deliberately lured the victim into the country under the pretext of love and deceitfully married her on May 15, 2019.
He was said to have subsequently held her captive in the hotel and extorted from her monies amounting to a total of $48,000.
The suspect allegedly collected and took control of the victim’s credit and debit cards forcefully, as well as the operation of her bank accounts, including the receipt of her monthly retirement benefits and allowances over a period of 15 months.
He reportedly used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies.
Meanwhile, the police disclosed that operatives of the Cybercrime Unit at the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja have arrested three suspects for offences related to advance fee fraud, money laundering, and romance scam.
The suspects – Samson Inegbenesun, Blessed Junior, and Muhammed Zakari, all males from Uromi in Edo State, were arrested in Uromi following investigations into suspected fraudulent online procurement and supply of COVID-19 protective mask, received through the INTERPOL NCB in Wiesbaden, Germany.
The police said all the suspects would be charged to court after investigations were concluded and prosecuted in line with the Cybercrime Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015.
CYBERCRIME: INTERPOL ABUJA ARREST 3
· As IRT Operatives Rescue American Lady Confined In Lagos Hotel For 16 Months
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Cybercrime Unit, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja have arrested three (3) suspects;
pic.twitter.com/UiueHAX6rE— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) July 12, 2020
