Man declared wanted over N450.000 marriage fraud

BY IFEOMA IKEM

A middle age man, Raphael Emmanson, is on the radar of the police as he has been declared wanted after defrauding a lady, Miss Chukwu Chiedu, of N450, 000.

The money was met to process a visa to enable the lady and him travel abroad as husband and wife.

National Daily gathered that soon after meeting with the suspect, her proposed marriage to her fiancé broke down and she lost her job in a pharmaceutical company.

It was gathered that the victim, Miss Chukwu’s ordeal started when she met the suspect about 9 months ago at a park in Abuja where he pretended to be stranded and needed help. Knowing that he was from the same state with her, she offered to assist him.

The suspect told the victim that he came to Abuja to procure visa to travel abroad but was stranded and needed a place to sleep till the next day as he was still having an appointment with the embassy the following day.

“I took pity on him because they are from the same state. I introduced him to my fiancé,” she explained.

It was further learnt that they became very close to the extent that it led to the collapse of the former relationship with her fiancé. As a result, the suspect promised her marriage hence they decided that they would marry and travel abroad.

Unknown to her that he was a dubious person; through such deceit obtained the money from her to procure visa but later disappeared for over three months until nemesis caught up with up with him and was arrested in his hideout in a hotel at Shasha area of Lagos state by the police.

During interrogation, the victim realised that the suspect was married with two children.
He was arraigned at the Ejigbo Magistrate’s court and charged for obtaining money under false pretence and stealing contrary to the Criminal law of Lagos state.

Though he pleaded not guilty, the presiding Magistrate Mr J.O.E. Adeyemi, granted him bail and remanded him in prison custody pending when he would perfect his bail.