The Nigeria Police Force has rescued two Ghanaian women who were kidnapped after falling victim to a Facebook romance scam run by a cross-border criminal syndicate.
The victims , 48-year-old Anastasia Arthur, also known as Baidoo, and Amaseerwaa Konadu, were freed on May 1 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after a coordinated sting operation by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police in partnership with the Ghanaian Police Service.
According to a statement released Friday by Police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, the rescue followed a kidnapping report filed with the National Central Bureau in Abuja on April 27. Investigations showed that Ms. Arthur was tricked into travelling from Ghana to Nigeria by a man she had met on Facebook, only to be abducted on arrival.
“Initial investigations revealed that Ms. Baidoo’s abduction stemmed from a sophisticated Facebook love scam,” Adejobi said. “This led to the identification of a criminal syndicate operating in both Ghana and Nigeria.”
One of the suspects, 27-year-old Emeka Christian—a Nigerian living in Ghana—was arrested and confessed to receiving a ransom of GH₵10,000 through his Ghanaian mobile money account. He said the money was converted to Naira and transferred to a Nigerian bank account belonging to a man named Peter Okoye.
Following the lead, IRT operatives tracked Okoye to Port Harcourt, where he was arrested along with two other members of the gang: Paulinus Chidokwe and Chinonso Okafor, both 35. During the raid, the two Ghanaian women were found in poor condition and immediately taken to the hospital for medical care.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised the swift action of the officers, stating that the operation reflects Nigeria’s strong stance against transnational crimes.
“This operation sends a strong message to criminal networks—Nigeria will not serve as a base for international crime,” he said, urging the public to be vigilant about online relationships.