The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued a 25-year-old woman from a suspected ritualist in an Abuja hotel.
The police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the rescue in a statement on Sunday, revealing that the victim, Promise Eze from Ebonyi State, was found unconscious with her hands and legs tied to a chair and her mouth taped inside a hotel bathroom in Wuse. The suspect remains at large.
Victim Lured Through Online Deception
According to Adeh, police operatives responded to a distress call from the hotel at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Friday, reporting suspicious activity in one of the rooms. Upon arrival, officers discovered the victim in distress and immediately freed her before rushing her to Wuse District Hospital, where she was resuscitated.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Eze had checked into the hotel on January 30, 2025, with a man who identified himself as Emmanuel Okoro from Lagos. However, during police questioning, she disclosed that she had met the suspect online, where he used the alias “Michael Prince” and claimed to be an oil company employee based in Delta State.
The suspect allegedly lured the victim to Abuja after she declined an invitation to Delta. Once inside the hotel room, he reportedly threatened her with a dagger before tying her up and fleeing with her two mobile phones.
Before his escape, Eze overheard the suspect speaking to accomplices over the phone, stating that he was regrouping before returning to “finish the job.”
In response, the FCT Police Command has launched a manhunt for the suspect. The Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, condemned the attack and urged residents, especially young women, to be cautious when meeting strangers.
The police urged anyone with information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest to contact them via emergency lines: 08032003913 or the Complaint Response Unit at 08107314192.
