A 40-year-old Philipino lady, Irene Torento Panas has been rescued from an Enugu man six months after she came on a ten-day love adventure to Nigeria.
The victim who is an accountant by profession and a native of Manila in the Philippines arrived Nigeria on November 22, 2019, on a visit to one Chukwudi Odo aged 54years of Enugu Ezike in Igbo-Eze North LGA of Enugu State whom she met on Facebook on 8th March, 2017.
The visit which was originally intended to be for 10 days, however, turned out to be a full case of abduction following the suspect’s refusal to allow her return to her country against her will.
She was always kept incommunicado by the suspect, throughout the period.
The Philipino was however rescued by operatives of the Enugu State Police Command at Neke-Uno Village, Enugu East Council Area.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba in a statement, the victim who was critically ill at the time of the rescue was successfully rescued by police operatives following a tip-off from some members of the public in the area.
He revealed that the victim was immediately taken to the hospital for medical attention where she was admitted from 5th June to 16th June.
“Preliminary investigations reveal that the suspect, Chukwudi Odo deliberately lured the victim into the country with the aim of confining her, sexually abusing, and extorting money from her.
“In the light of the foregoing, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, advises a more cautious use of the social media by members of the public and has warned against any abuse of the cyberspace. Such criminal acts will not go undetected and unpunished by the Force,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Force is already in contact with the Embassy of the Philippines in Nigeria to reunite the victim with members of her family, Mba revealed.
