The Ghana Police Service has provided detailed information regarding the recent abduction of two Ghanaian women in Nigeria, revealing that they were victims of a sophisticated online romance scam.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, the women—Anastasia Baidoo Arthur and Evelyn Konadu—were deceived by Nigerian suspects who created fake Facebook profiles, posing as white men seeking marriage.
After establishing online relationships, the suspects invited the women to Nigeria under the pretence of meeting their prospective spouses.
Upon arrival, both women were abducted, physically assaulted, and held captive. The kidnappers recorded videos of the abuse and sent them to the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of GH₵500,000 each.
The families managed to pay GH₵18,000 through various mobile money channels before the police intervened.
The rescue operation was a collaborative effort between the Ghana Police Service, the National Signals Bureau (NSB), and the Nigerian Police Force.
Both victims are currently receiving medical care in Nigeria and are reported to be in stable condition.
Nigerian authorities have arrested several suspects connected to the kidnapping, including Peter Okoye and Christian Emeka, who had previously operated in Ghana under the guise of working with QNET before relocating to Nigeria.
Further investigations uncovered that one of the suspects in Bolgatanga, Ghana, a Mobile Money agent, had ties to an employee of a telecom company.
This employee allegedly provided the suspect with official login credentials, which were used to access the telecom’s SIM registration app.
The suspect then used other people’s Ghana Card details without their consent to register SIM cards, which were sold for GH¢150 each.
The Ghana Police Service urges the public to exercise caution when engaging in online relationships and to report any suspicious activities to the authorities.
