Metro
Police rescue lady held captive in hotel by man she met online
A 25-year-old woman, Promise Eze, was rescued by the operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command after being tied up and left unconscious by a man she met on an online dating site.
The suspect, who introduced himself as Michael Prince but later identified himself as Emmanuel Okoro, is now on the run, with police launching a manhunt to ensure his swift arrest.
A statement on Sunday by the command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said the police received a distress call from a hotel in the Wuse area of the FCT after noticing suspicious activities in one of its rooms.
Adeh said upon arrival, officers discovered Eze tied to a small chair with her mouth covered in plaster, and lying on the floor unconscious.
She noted that Eze was immediately rushed to Wuse District Hospital, where she was resuscitated.
“On January 31, 2025, at approximately 11:30 AM, the command received a distress call from a hotel in the Wuse area of the FCT, reporting suspicious activity in one of their rooms.
“Responding swiftly, police operatives arrived at the scene and discovered a 25-year-old woman, Promise Eze, from Ebonyi State, tied to a small chair with her mouth covered in plaster. She was found unconscious and in distress. Officers acted immediately, freeing her from captivity and rushing her to the Wuse District Hospital, where she was resuscitated”, the statement partly read.
Adeh said preliminary investigations revealed that Eze had checked into the hotel the previous morning, January 30, with Okoro, whom she had met online.
According to her, the suspect had presented himself as an oil company employee based in Delta State.
Adeh noted that the suspect had initially invited Eze to visit him in Delta State but she rejected it but agreed to meet him in Abuja instead.
“Preliminary investigations revealed a disturbing pattern of deception and violence. The victim had checked into the hotel a day earlier, on January 30, 2025, at about 7:00 AM, in the company of a man who identified himself as Emmanuel Okoro from Lagos State.
“However, during police questioning, the victim disclosed that she had met the suspect online, where he introduced himself under the alias Michael Prince, claiming to be an oil company employee based in Delta State. Initially, he invited her to Delta State, but after she declined, they agreed to meet in Abuja.”
Adeh added that Eze said Okoro brandished a dagger to threaten her before tying her up and taping her mouth inside the hotel’s bathroom.
“What was meant to be an innocent meeting turned into a harrowing ordeal. The suspect allegedly brandished a dagger, using it to threaten and subdue the victim before restraining her by tying her hands and legs and taping her mouth shut inside the bathroom. He then fled the scene, stealing her two mobile phones. Alarmingly, before escaping, the victim overheard him speaking to suspected accomplices over the phone, informing them that he was on his way to regroup before returning to the hotel to ‘finish the job,’” the statement added.
Adeh said the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, condemned the incident and advised young women about the dangers of meeting strangers online without proper caution.
He assured the public that efforts were underway to track down the suspect, urging anyone with useful information on the suspect’s whereabouts to call the command’s emergency lines.
Three persons, two confirmed to be from the same family, are feared drowned in a boat mishap in Niger State.
The incident occured in Lapai Local Government Area of the state.
Vanguard gathered that the boat was overloaded with over 200 bags of rice and capsized about 9p.m., on the fateful day as a result of heavy windstorm.
While some claimed that many people drowned during the incident, a source confirmed that only three persons travelled in the boat because the boat was already overloaded and that they all drowned.
It was further gathered that the bags of rice were purchased in Lapai council and were being ferried to Lokoja, Kogi State for sale.
The source said: “The boat was overloaded with bags of rice from our area-Lapai thereby occupying all available spaces in the canoe. Two of those who went on the journey are of the same parents and believed to have most of the bags of rice being transported for sale.
“The bags of rice are more than 200 and the storm which started on their way must have also contributed to the sudden accident.”
Public Relations Officer, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Hussaini Ibrahim, when contacted said the agency was yet to get details of the incident and promised to issue a statement later.
Corpses of those feared dead were yet to be recovered at press time.
The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a Herbalist identified as Murtala Musa, over the death and mutilation of an 11-year-old boy in Kodomun village, Demsa Local Government Area.
SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, Police Public Relations Officer in a statement said the incident was reported to the police in Demsa on the 13th of April, 2025, by the Village Head of Kodomun and one Fancy Alifas, the Mother of their Victim.
“She reported that her son, Yangapwa David, aged 11, was taken to the said herbalist for treatment but unfortunately died while in his custody.”
According to her, arrangements were made to convey the body home, during which time the corpse was left in the herbalist’s room.
Shockingly, upon her return, she discovered that her son’s left eye had been removed.
“Upon receipt of the report, police operatives swiftly visited the scene and arrested the suspect.”
The Commissioner of Police, Adamawa State Command, *CP Dankombo Morris assured members of the public that the Command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice is served.
The suspect remains in custody as the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, has been detailed to conduct a discreet investigation.
The Bauchi State Police Command has confirmed the death of a man identified simply as Peter, who was killed by a mob in Bauchi metropolis over allegations of dog theft.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Thursday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Ahmed Wakili.
According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. on April 9, 2025, and involved a mob assault on two individuals accused of stealing a dog.
Wakili said the Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into what he described as an “egregious act of jungle justice.”
The second victim, identified as Dokagk Danladi, aged 38, was also attacked by a group of youths in a secluded area behind Lushi. He sustained severe machete wounds to the head and was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.
Peter, whose surname is yet to be identified, was found at the scene and was confirmed dead by medical personnel.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area has led a team of detectives to the crime scene to gather evidence and investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
CP Aliyu condemned the act, describing it as barbaric and a threat to the nation’s legal framework. He warned residents against taking the law into their own hands.
“No individual has the authority to brutalize a suspect. Anyone apprehended for any alleged crime should be handed over to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution,” the Commissioner stated.
He appealed to the public to remain calm and cooperate with the police by providing relevant information that could aid the investigation.
“The Command is resolute in its pursuit of justice and is committed to ensuring that all those involved in this heinous act are brought to book,” Aliyu added.
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