Two Ghanaian women have been rescued after falling victim to a romance scam that led to their kidnapping in Nigeria, in a case that has shocked the public and triggered cross-border investigations involving security agencies in Ghana and Nigeria.

The victims, Anastasia Baidoo Arthur and Evelyn Konadu, were lured into Nigeria under the guise of marriage proposals from men they believed to be white foreigners, only to be abducted and assaulted upon arrival.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, detailed how the women were deceived by a criminal syndicate operating under fake identities online.

“These suspects met the two victims, Anastasia Baidoo Arthur and Evelyn Konadu through their Facebook accounts. The suspects posed as white men who wanted to marry the victims. The two unsuspecting victims became convinced and accepted the marriage proposals,” DCOP Donkor disclosed.

The victims travelled separately but arrived on the same day, April 22, 2025, at a pre-arranged location in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, where they were immediately kidnapped.

According to police investigations, the suspects – Peter Okoye, 31, Paulinus Chidokwe, 35, Chinoso Okafor, 35, and Christian Emeka – carried out the abduction. Okoye and Emeka, both Nigerians with prior ties to Ghana, had previously been involved in the operations of QNET in Ghana before returning to Nigeria. Emeka returned to Ghana again in 2024 before the kidnapping plot was executed.

DCOP Donkor explained that the group was part of a broader syndicate engaged in romance scams in both Ghana and Nigeria. “Peter Okoye, Christian Emeka and Basil Okonkwo, all Nigerians were into romance scam in Nigeria and Ghana,” she noted.

After kidnapping the victims, the suspects subjected them to brutal treatment. The victims were stripped, tied up, and assaulted with machetes. They were also threatened with death, wrapped in bedsheets, had their heads covered with black polythene, and were told they would be hanged using nylon ropes.

The ordeal was recorded on video and circulated on social media. Copies were also sent to the victims’ families with a ransom demand of GH₵500,000 for each victim.

“Videos of the torture were shared widely on social media and used as a tool to extort families,” DCOP Donkor revealed. Before the arrests, GH₵18,000 had already been transferred via mobile money to various accounts linked to the suspects.

With assistance from Ghana’s National Signals Bureau (NSB) and the Nigeria Police Force, the victims were eventually rescued and eight suspects were arrested from hideouts in both countries.

“The Ghana Police Service is collaborating closely with Nigerian authorities to expedite the return of the two victims and suspects back to Ghana,” DCOP Donkor confirmed. “As of today, both suspects and victims are with the Nigerian authorities, and efforts are being made to transport the victims to Ghana.”

She added that the suspects would also be extradited to Ghana to assist further investigations.

Police have cautioned the public against falling prey to online romance scams and urged individuals to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.

The disturbing incident has sparked renewed calls for vigilance in online engagements and greater collaboration between security agencies across borders to tackle cyber-enabled crimes.