16-month hell: US woman held hostage, $73,000 extorted from her by Nigerian 'lover'

A US woman who was lured to Nigeria by a man promising to marry her has been rescued after she was held hostage in a hotel for 16 months. Photo / 123rf

A US woman who was lured to Nigeria by a man promising to marry her has been rescued after she was held hostage in a hotel for 16 months.

Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku, 34, met the woman, a retired civil servant, on Facebook and pursuaded her to come to Nigeria.

But upon her arrival, she was instead bundled into a Lagos hotel and confined there against her will for 16 months.

Okiaku then extorted $73,000 (US$48,000) from the terrified woman.

The 34-year-old also "deceitfully" married her on May 15, 2019.

"Police operatives have successfully rescued an American citizen who was confined in a Lagos hotel where she was held against her wish for over a year," national police spokesman Frank Mba said in a statement.

Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku, 34, sexually assaulted, extorted money from and held hostage a US woman in a Nigerian hotel. Photo / Supplied

"The victim, a retired civil servant from Washington, DC, USA, reportedly arrived in Nigeria on February 13, 2019," and was held hostage by the suspect who also sexually abused her.

The police spokesman said Obiaku was an "internet fraudster" who has "defrauded many people locally and internationally".

"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," he said.

"Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies," police said.

The rescue followed what police called a similar case where a Filipino lady was lured to Nigeria by her supposed lover who she too had met on Facebook.

She was abducted and held captive for six months before she was rescued.