Another Woman Bound, Gagged In Abuja Hotel By ‘Oil Worker’ She Met Online
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued a young woman from a suspected ritualist and armed robber.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, on Sunday, said the rescue operation followed a distress call from a hotel located in the Wuse area of Abuja on January 31, 2025.
The victim identified as Promise Eze, aged 25, from Ebonyi State, was found tied to a chair with tape covering her mouth.
The victim revealed that the suspect who claimed to be Emmanuel Okoro from Lagos State checked her into the hotel on January 30 after they had met online.
According to her, the suspect posed as Michael Prince from Delta State and claimed he was into oil business.
The police said the suspect was nowhere to be found when operatives arrived at the scene. However, the police have placed him on watchlist.
The statement said, “The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has successfully rescued a young woman from the clutches of a suspected armed robber and ritualist, launching an immediate manhunt for the fleeing suspect.
“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 Wuse District Hospital, where she was resuscitated.
“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, but after she declined, they agreed to meet in Abuja.
“Tragically, 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.”
“Recognising the gravity of this heinous act, the FCT Police Command has launched a full-scale manhunt for the suspect and is working tirelessly to ensure his immediate arrest. The Commissioner of Police, FCT, CP Olatunji Disu, psc, strongly condemns this act of violence and urges residents—especially young women—to exercise caution when meeting individuals they do not know personally.
“The CP reassures the public that the FCT Police Command remains unwavering in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents. He also calls on anyone with relevant information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest to immediately contact the police through the following:Emergency Lines: 08032003913. Complaint Response Unit: 08107314192.”
In September 2024, the FCT Command of the NSCDC arrested one Joseph Efe, 30, in connection with alleged kidnapping, robbery and attempted murder of one Olivia Chukwuemeka.
Efe had reportedly confined his victim to a room, gagged her mouth and tied her legs and hands with tape at Top View Hotel, Wuse.
The NSCD narrated how the 30-year-old suspected internet fraudster was apprehended after assaulting and tying up the victim in a bid to rob her.
Another Woman Bound, Gagged In Abuja Hotel By ‘Oil Worker’ She Met Online is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
