By Moses Desire Kouyo
The Ghana Police Service has disclosed that two Ghanaian women—Anastasia Badoo Atta and Serwaa Konadu—who were recently rescued after being kidnapped in Nigeria, were lured through an online romance scam orchestrated by a criminal syndicate.
The suspects posed as white men on Facebook, enticing the women with promises of marriage and a better life abroad. Believing the deception, the victims traveled independently to Nigeria, where they were kidnapped upon arrival on April 22, 2025.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, Head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the captives were subjected to disturbing physical abuse. They were stripped naked, tied up, assaulted with cutlasses, and threatened with death. The ordeal was filmed by the kidnappers, who circulated the video to the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of GHS500,000 each.
The harrowing video, which went viral across Ghanaian social media platforms, prompted widespread national outrage and urgent calls for action.
A joint operation involving Ghana’s National Signals Bureau (NSB) and the Nigeria Police Force led to a coordinated international rescue mission, successfully freeing the two victims. So far, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the abduction, with investigations ongoing in both countries.
DCOP Donkor confirmed that GHS18,000 in ransom payments had already been traced to phone numbers associated with the suspects. She further stated that both victims and suspects remain in Nigerian custody pending final arrangements for their safe repatriation to Ghana and extradition of the criminals for prosecution.
“According to our Nigerian counterparts, the victims have undergone medical checks and are in stable condition,” said DCOP Donkor.
“We are grateful for the cooperation between our law enforcement agencies, and we urge the public to remain cautious of online romance scams.”
This incident has reignited public discourse around the dangers of online scams, especially romance fraud, and the need for greater digital literacy and vigilance.