Kidnapping case: Two victims were lured through romance scam – Police

The Ghana Police Service says the two female victims involved in the recent kidnapping case were deceived through an online romance scam and later abducted in Nigeria.

The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the National Signals Bureau (NSB) and the Nigeria Police Force, successfully rescued the two female victims who were kidnapped and featured in a viral video. The chilling footage, which captured the victims in distress, had sparked widespread public outrage and concern.

In a joint operation, eight suspects were apprehended in connection with the kidnapping, with arrests made in both Ghana and Nigeria. The suspects were located at various hideouts across the two countries, with law enforcement agencies working together seamlessly to track and capture the perpetrators.

According to DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the victims, Anastasia Badoo Atta and Serwaa Konadu, were targeted by suspects posing as white men on Facebook. The perpetrators convinced the unsuspecting women to accept marriage proposals, ultimately luring them to Nigeria.

“The suspects met the two victims through their Facebook accounts, posed as white men who wanted to marry them, and convinced them to accept the marriage proposal,” DCOP Donkor stated.

The victims traveled separately but arrived at the same location in Nigeria on April 22, 2025, where they were kidnapped by Peter Okoye and his two accomplices.

The abductors subjected the women to severe physical abuse, stripping them naked, tying them up, and assaulting them with cutlasses. They also threatened to kill them, covered their heads with black polythene, and recorded the violent acts on video.

The kidnappers sent the footage to the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of GHS500,000 from each family. In response, a total of GHS18,000 was paid to various phone numbers linked to the suspects.

DCOP Donkor confirmed that both the victims and suspects are currently in the custody of Nigerian authorities. Efforts are underway to transport the victims back to Ghana and extradite the suspects to assist in investigations.

“At the moment, information received from our counterparts in Nigeria indicates that both victims are fine. They have received routine medical checks,” she assured.