IN ‘LUST‘ WITH A CON MAN:
AMERICAN Retiree woman fell in love with a Nigerian criminal, CHUKWUEBUKA OBIAKU on Facebook, freed from captivity in Lagos after 12 months of sexual assault
* Lured innocent woman to fly to Nigeria under the pretext of ‘love and deceitful marriage’
* Held her captive in a hotel and extort $48,000 cash from her bank account
* Stolen funds include monthly retirement benefits and allowances over the period of 15 months
* “ Chukwuebuka Obiaku forcefully collected, took control of her credit and debit cards as well as the operation of her bank accounts”-Nigeria Police Force
*BY NIFEMI OWOELA/STAFF Writer, Lagos & GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICAN Foreign Bureau Chief
SHE IS AN AMERICAN WOMAN, A RETIREE who desperately sought for a genuine husband as she wants a new life. Unfortunately, this woman met a Nigerian, Chukwuebuka Obiaku who had a criminal intention secretly hidden away from her vulnerability. He played on her emotions, deceived her to fly to Nigeria under the guise of been in ‘love’ with her. Without having a second thought, the American lady bought her ticket and arrived Lagos. She will never forget how she was humiliated, tortured by Chukwuebuka for over one year
The American woman retiree has been rescued after being held hostage in Nigeria hotel room for more than A YEAR by man, 34, who lured her with promise of fake marriage before extorting her for $48,000 and sexually assaulting her.
An American woman who was lured to Nigeria by a man she met on Facebook has been rescued after spending more than a year in captivity, authorities said.
Chukwuebuka persuaded the retired civil servant to go to Nigeria ‘under the pretext of love’ but when she arrived from Washington DC on February 13, 2019, she was held hostage.
The suspect who sexually abused her, ‘deceitfully married her on May 15, 2019, and extorted $48,000 from her while she was was held in a Lagos hotel.
‘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,’ national police spokesperson Frank Mba announced on Sunday.
The victim, who has not been identified, was rescued by a Police Intelligence Response Team of the Ogun State Annex. The Nigerian Police Force said the operation was successful following information received from a ‘civic minded’ person.
Obiaku is reported to be a native of Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State and a Business Administration and Management graduate.
He was described as ‘an internet fraudster who has defrauded many people locally and internationally’.
‘Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies,’ police said.
Police said Obiaku will be charged at a later date under the Cybercrime Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015.
The rescue followed what police called a similar case where a Filipino lady was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover who she too met on Facebook.
She was abducted and held captive for over six months before she was rescued.
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