An American woman lured to Nigeria on a promise of marriage and held for more than a year by an internet fraudster, has been rescued, police said on Sunday.

The suspect, Chukwuebuka Obiakuwhom, met the American woman on Facebook, and extorted $48,000 from her by promising to marry her.

“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,” police spokesman Frank Mba, said in a statement.

“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.

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He said the suspect was “an internet fraudster who has defrauded many people locally and internationally,” and he would be charged at a later date, AFP reported.

Internet scammers often use the internet to dupe their victims by promising them non-existent jobs, marriages, or business opportunities.

Meanwhile, in another news, an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded a 20-year-old man, Kehinde Oke, in prison for allegedly robbing a Professor, Micheal Ige of his valuables at his residence.

Oke, whose address was not provided, had pleaded not guilty on a two-count charge of rape and armed robbery.

The police prosecutor, Caleb Leramo, told the court that the accused committed the offense ‎on December 22, 2019 at Emure-Ekiti.

Vanguard News Nigeria.