Police operatives have rescued an American citizen who was confined in a Lagos hotel where she was held against her will for over a year.
The victim, whose name was not disclosed by the police on Sunday, is said to have come from Washington DC, USA and is a retired civil servant in the US.
Police said she arrived Nigeria on February 13, 2019, on a visit to a man named Chukwuebuka Obiaku, 34, a native of Ikeduru LGA of Imo State whom she met on Facebook.
She was, however, rescued by police operatives attached to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Ogun State Annex following tip-off in Meran area of Lagos.
The rescue of the American woman comes on the heels of a similar case of abducted Philippino woman who was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover whom she equally met on Facebook.
Police said investigations reveal that the suspect, Chukwuebuka 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.
Mr Obiaku is said to have deliberately lured the victim into the country under the pretext of love and deceitfully married her on 15th May, 2019.
Police said: “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 15 months.
“Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies.”
Also, police said on Sunday that operatives of the Nigeria Police Cybercrime Unit, INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja have arrested three suspects — Samson Inegbenesun, 30; Blessed Junior, 32; and Muhammed Zakari, 36 — all male from Uromi in Edo State, for cyber-related offences including advance fee fraud, money laundering and romance scam.
The suspects were arrested in Uromi, following investigations into suspected fraudulent online procurement and supply of COVID-19 protective mask, received through the INTERPOL NCB Wiesbaden, Germany.
Police said investigations reveal that Mr Inegbenosun is an internet fraudster and a member of a Turkey-based online scamming syndicate.
“He supplies foreign and local bank accounts to receive fraudulent funds and use same as conduit to other feeder accounts.
“Meanwhile, the Police have recovered from him, a building apartment worth N20,000,000.00, a Toyota RAV-4 2015 model worth N6,500,000.00 and a Toyota Matrix 2002 model valued at N2,000,000.00 which he procured with the proceeds of the crime.
“The second suspect, Blessed Junior, returned to Nigeria from Italy in February, 2020 but maintains close contacts and illicit dealings with his Italian associates.
“Investigations reveal that he has made over One Hundred and Twenty Million Naira (N120,000,000.00) from internet fraud and other cybercrime dealings.
“He also received the sum of 52,000 EUROs recently from his criminal associates in Italy as commission for his active involvement in an international cybercrime deal. He also owns a filling station established with the proceeds of the crime.
“Mohammed Zakari, an expert in internet fraud, identity theft and impersonation, falsely claims to be a British citizen. He also poses to be one Kelly Galk on online dating apps which he uses to carry out romance scams and to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, locally and internationally. Investigation reveals he has made millions of naira from his illicit cybercrime transactions since he joined the syndicate,” the police said.
All the suspects will be charged to court on conclusion of investigation and prosecuted in line with the Cybercrime Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015, police said.
