12th July, 2020
The Nigerian Police have arrested a Nigerian Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku, who held an American woman hostage in a Lagos hotel since 13 February, 2019.
The unidentified woman, who has been rescued by the police, came from Washington DC.
She is a retired civil servant in the US.
She came on a visit with Chukwuebuka, a 34 year-old native of Ikeduru LGA of Imo State.
Both had met on Facebook.
She was 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 Meiran area of Lagos State.
The rescue of the American lady came on the heels of a similar case of abducted Filipina lady who was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover whom she equally met on Facebook.
Investigations revealed that the suspect, Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku was a graduate of Business Administration and Management.
He is also 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 on 15 May, 2019.
He subsequently held her captive in a hotel and extorted over $48,000 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 15 months.
Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies.
The suspect will be charged to court on conclusion of investigation and prosecuted in line with the Cybercrime Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015, the police said on Sunday.