The Kwara State police command has rescued an American female citizen, Ms Vonapolouis Moss, who was tricked to travel to Nigeria by a 23-year-old suspected internet fraudster who also swindled her.
Parading the suspect in Ilorin yesterday, state commissioner of police, Mr. Paul Odama said Joshua Awoleye of Sabo-Oke Road, Ilorin who introduced himself as Howard Adams to the victim lured her into the country on January 9, 2023.
He added that Moss of 2962, W 64th Court, Merrillville, Indiana 46410, USA, arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, after which she flew into Ilorin the next day and was received by the suspect
He further said Awoleye also swindled his victim of $1000 when she arrived in Nigeria.
“On January 12, 2023, at about 1200 hours, based on actionable intelligence, operatives of the SCID at the Kwara State Police command arrested one Awoleye Joshua Oluwatofunmi, “male” of Sabo-Oke Road, Ilorin, within the premises of a hotel along Flower Garden Road, Ilorin, in company with one Vonapolouis Moss, “female” an American citizen.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, who is an internet fraudster known as Yahoo Boy, presented himself to the victim on TikTok, a social media platform, as an American by the name of Howard Adams and ripped her off for about 1,000 USD.
“The suspect later took a step further by luring the victim to fly into Nigeria on January 9, 2023, through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, after which she flew into Ilorin the next day and was received by the suspect.
“The suspect also deceitfully took an unspecified amount of USD from the victim before she was rescued by police operatives.
“The necessary authorities have been contacted for appropriate action. Meanwhile, the rescued victim has been moved into secure custody by the State Police command pending her return trip to the USA,” Odama said.
He also stated that although Awoleye had confessed to the crime, he would not be handed to the Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission but would be investigated by the police and charged to court after a thorough investigation of his alleged crime.
Speaking in an interview with journalists, Moss said she arrived in the country on Monday night and moved from Lagos to Ilorin on Tuesday morning.
“We met on social media and he invited me to visit Nigeria but when I came, he took me to the Bureau de Change to change my money to Nigerian currency and he also took me to Shoprite. When the money on me finished, he told me to tell my people to send more.”
She said she had fallen in love with Nigeria but would like to return to the US.
“I like Nigeria and I would like to come back but what I want now is to go back to America,” she said.
