Gbenro Adesina
Police operatives have rescued an American woman who was held hostage in a Lagos hotel for over a year by a 34 year old man, Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku, who she met on Facebook.
The suspect, Obiaku, a native of Ikeduru LGA of Imo State, allegedly lured the American citizen who hails from Washington DC, USA and is a retired civil servant in the US, to Nigeria and she arrived on February 13, 2019 on a visit
According to the Police, Obiaku, a graduate of Business Administration and Management and an internet fraudster, has also defrauded many unsuspecting members of the public both locally and internationally.
The Police said Obiaku deliberately lured the victim into the country under the pretext of love and deceitfully married her on May 15, 2019. He subsequently held her captive in the hotel and extorted monies amounting to a total of 48,000-USD from her.
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 fifteen months.
Obiaku also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies.
The victim was, however, rescued by Police operatives attached to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Ogun State Annex following information received from a patriotic and civic minded Nigerian in the Meran area of Lagos State.
The incidence is similar to that of an abducted Filipino lady who was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover whom she equally met on Facebook.
