Two Ghanaian women lured into Nigeria under the guise of online romance have been rescued from captivity following a joint security operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Nigeria Police Force.
The victims—48-year-old Anastasia Badoo Atta, also known as Baidoo, and Serwaa Konadu—were rescued on May 1 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by Nigeria’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT). Their ordeal began after they were deceived by suspects posing as foreign suitors on Facebook.
DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), told journalists in Accra on Tuesday, May 6, that both women had fallen victim to an elaborate romance scam and were later kidnapped upon arrival in Nigeria.
“The suspects met the two victims through Facebook, pretending to be white men interested in marriage. They succeeded in convincing the women to travel to Nigeria separately, arriving at the same location on April 22,” DCOP Donkor said.
She explained that shortly after their arrival, the women were abducted by three men—identified as Peter Okoye, Paulinus Chidokwe, and Chinonso Okafor—who subjected them to severe abuse.
“The women were beaten with cutlasses, stripped naked, tied up, and threatened with death. Their captors recorded these acts and sent the disturbing footage to the victims’ families while demanding a ransom of GHS500,000 from each,” she disclosed.
In response to the threats, the victims’ families paid a total of GHS18,000 to various mobile money accounts linked to the suspects. One suspect, Emeka Christian, a 27-year-old Nigerian based in Bolgatanga, Ghana, reportedly received part of the ransom and converted the funds before transferring them to a Nigerian bank account.
According to the Ghana Police, intelligence shared with their Nigerian counterparts helped identify and track the syndicate operating across both countries. Arrests were made in Ghana and Nigeria, with a total of eight suspects detained so far.
“The successful rescue and arrests were the result of collaboration between the Ghana Police Service, the National Signals Bureau, and the Nigeria Police,” DCOP Donkor noted.
She further assured the public that both victims were receiving medical care in Nigeria and were in stable condition. “Information from our counterparts confirms that the women are fine and have undergone routine medical checks.”
Efforts are currently underway to repatriate the victims to Ghana and extradite the suspects for further investigations and possible prosecution.
The Ghana Police Service continues to warn the public about the dangers of online scams and urges individuals to exercise caution when engaging in internet-based relationships.
