Operatives of the Nigerian police have rescued a US citizen (name withheld), who was allegedly held captive at a Lagos hotel against her wish for about 15 months while her captive squandered her N18.5m.
The victim was said to have arrived Nigeria from Washington DC on February 13 last year to visit her lover Chukwuebuka Obiaku, 34, who promised to marry her.
Obiaku, a native of Ikeduru LGA of Imo State she met on Facebook, is a graduate of Business Administration and Management. According to police investigation, he is an internet fraudster who has defrauded many unsuspecting members of the public, both locally and internationally.
Obiaku’s alleged crimes
According to the police, the 34 year old, kept the US citizen against her will; defrauded her of about N18.5m; forcefully took control of her credit and debit cards; confidently operated her bank accounts; took receipt of the American’s monthly retirement benefits and allowances for 15 months.
In a statement the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, issued on Sunday July 12, investigations revealed that Obiaku allegedly lured the victim into the country on the pretext of love and deceitfully married her on May 15 last year.
It adds, “He subsequently held her captive in a hotel, extorted from her money amounting to a total of $48,000.
“He also forcefully collected and took control of her credit and debit cards, the operation of her bank accounts, including the receipt of her monthly retirement benefits and allowances over the period of 15 months.”
According to the statement, the suspect also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies.
Luck, however, run out on him when police operatives attached to the Intelligence Response Team, Ogun State annex rescued the victim and arrested him following information received from a Nigerian in the Meiran area of Lagos State
