The Nigeria Police have arrested three suspected kidnappers and rescued two Ghanaian women who were held captive after falling victim to a Facebook love scam.
The suspects, who were part of a cross-border kidnapping gang, were caught by the Intelligence Response Team) following a report made to the National Central Bureau in Abuja on April 27, 2025.
Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the development in a statement on Friday.
He explained that one of the victims, 48-year-old Ghanaian woman, Anastasia Arthur also known as Baidoo, was lured into Nigeria through a fake relationship on Facebook.
“Initial investigations revealed that Baidoo’s abduction stemmed from a sophisticated Facebook love scam,” Adejobi said.
He noted that after tracing phone calls and using technical tools, the police were able to identify a location linked to the criminals and quickly moved in.
According to him, the police worked closely with Ghanaian authorities to track down the group behind the crime.
The breakthrough came with the arrest of 27-year-old Emeka Christian, a Nigerian living in Bolgatanga, Upper Eastern Ghana.
“He confessed to receiving GH₵10,000 as ransom for the victim through his Ghanaian mobile money account,” Adejobi said.
He added that Christian later sent the naira equivalent of the ransom to a Nigerian bank account owned by another suspect, Peter Okoye.
On May 1, 2025, the police tracked down Okoye in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Two other suspects, Paulinus Chidokwe and Chinonso Okafor, both 35 years old, were also arrested during the operation.
During the raid, police rescued Baidoo and another Ghanaian woman, Amaseerwaa Konadu. The women were taken to the hospital for medical care, as they had been kept in very poor conditions.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, praised the officers for their quick and well-coordinated work. He said the rescue showed the police’s strong commitment to fighting crimes across borders and keeping people safe.
He also thanked the Ghanaian police for their support and called for more teamwork between countries in the fight against international crimes.
