Director General of CID, DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor
Two Ghanaian women who were kidnapped in Nigeria under the pretense of marriage proposals have safely returned to Ghana.
Anastasia Baidoo Arthur and Evelyn Konadu arrived at Kotoka International Airport on Friday, May 9, 2025, aboard an Africa World Airlines flight from Abuja.
Their return was confirmed by the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor, during a press briefing on Friday, May 9, 2025.
“I’m pleased to confirm that at 1:45 today, I received the victims at Kotoka International Airport. They were accompanied by an official of the Research Department of the Ghana High Commission who verified their identities,” DCOP Donkor said.
She noted that the victims were in stable condition and would undergo medical evaluation before providing statements to assist ongoing investigations.
“Both women are in stable condition and will receive the necessary medical attention. Following that, they will go through standard police procedures to provide their accounts to assist with ongoing investigations,” she said.
DCOP Donkor reiterated the police’s commitment to crime prevention and public safety, urging citizens to remain vigilant and cautious in online interactions.
“The Ghana Police Service remains steadfast in its core mandate of crime prevention, detection, apprehension, and prosecution of offenders. We are committed to ensuring that Ghana remains a safe and secure place for all,” she added.
The two women’s plight went viral after disturbing videos showing them being tortured were circulated on social media.
Their captors had demanded a ransom of GH¢500,000 each from their families.
The victims had separately traveled to Port Harcourt, Nigeria, on April 22, 2025. They were lured by a group of men posing as white foreigners seeking marriage partners.
The suspects, identified as Peter Okoye (31), Paulinus Chidokwe (35), Chinoso Okafor (35), and Christian Emeka, operated as part of a broader transnational romance scam syndicate targeting victims in both Ghana and Nigeria.
Upon arrival, the women were kidnapped, stripped, tied, and assaulted with machetes. They were threatened with death; their heads were covered with black polythene bags, and they were told they would be hanged with nylon ropes.
GH¢18,000 had already been transferred to the suspects before authorities intervened.
With support from Ghana’s National Signals Bureau and the Nigeria Police Force, eight suspects were arrested from different hideouts, and the victims were rescued.
Watch the press briefing below:
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