US hostage rescued

A US woman lured to Nigeria on a promise of marriage and held for more than a year by an internet fraudster, has been rescued, police said on Sunday.

The suspect, Chukwuebuka Obiakuwhom, met the woman on Facebook, and extorted $48,000 from her by promising to marry her.

"Police operatives have successfully rescued an American citizen who was confined in a Lagos hotel where she was held against her wish for over a year," national police spokesman Frank Mba said in a statement.

Nigerian scammers often use the internet to dupe their victims by promising them non-existent jobs, marriages or business opportunities.

AFP