30-year-old Joseph Efe, an internet fraudster, was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Abuja after attempting to rob and possibly kill a suspected sex worker at Top View Hotel in Wuse Zone 5. Efe had previously committed similar crimes against four other women he had met on dating sites.
The victim, Olivia Ijeoma Chukwuemeka, was rescued from the hotel room, where she had been bound and gagged. NSCDC operatives apprehended Efe after he tried to escape when leaving the hotel premises. Upon returning to the hotel, the officers discovered the victim and swiftly intervened.
Efe had arrived in Abuja from Lagos on September 17 and targeted his victim the next day. Olivia, who occasionally visited Abuja for business, recalled meeting Efe months earlier on a dating platform, “Coded Runs.” During the ordeal, Efe threatened to harm her unless she cooperated, claiming that his accomplice was nearby and would inject her with something if she resisted. Fortunately, Olivia managed to alert hotel staff and signal her location, leading to her rescue.
In related news, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pledged to support efforts to combat internet extortion scams. This comes after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, removed over 63,000 fraudulent Nigerian accounts last summer, linked to increasing “sextortion” cases.