Facebook Love Turns Sour As Police Arrest Man For Keeping Filipino Lover Hostage For 6 Months

A man, Chukwudi Odo, has been arrested after luring a 40-year-old Filipino lady, Irene Panas, to Enugu State, Nigeria, kept her hostage and sexually abused her for six months. 

Irene, a Manila-based accountant was invited to travel down to Nene-Uno village in Enugu State by Chukwudi whom she met on Facebook in 2019.

Irene, after being rescued by police officers, was hospitalised for 11 days.

Irene who entered the country with the aim of spending just a short six days on a one-month visa was said to have been coerced to stay for six months by her lover.

Giving a statement on the issue DCP Frank Mba said, “Irene Panas, an accountant by profession and a native of Manila in the Philippines, arrived Nigeria on November 22, 2019, on a visit to one Chukwudi Odo, 54, of Enugu Ezike in the Igbo-Eze North LGA of Enugu State, whom she met on Facebook on March 8, 2017.

“The visit, which was originally intended for 10 days, however, turned out to be a full case of abduction following Odo’s refusal to allow her to return to her country. She was held incommunicado by the suspect.

“The victim, who was critically ill, was successfully rescued by police operatives attached to the Unity Police Division, Ibegwa Nike, Enugu State, led by the DPO, SP Siga Malgwi, following a tip-off from some members of the public in the area.

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“Preliminary investigation revealed that Odo deliberately lured the victim into the country with the aim of confining her, sexually abusing her and extorting money from her.”

Giving his account of the event, Chukwudi said, “I met her on Facebook in March 2017 and we became friends. We were in touch on a regular basis. Then, we agreed to marry each other. I told her that I could not leave my country for another country. I also told her that I was financially handicapped.

“In November 2019, she came to Nigeria; I even wrote to the Embassy of the Philippines intimating them of the arrival of Irene. It happened that I had a minor land issue with the people of Nene-Uno, where I am residing.

“The police did not arrest me; it was the Nene-Uno people, who alleged that my woman was sick and I did not take her to hospital. They came to my house on June 1, asking me to take her to the hospital; I wanted to take her to the hospital for a pregnancy test. It was an agreement between her family and I that I would marry her.”

Plans to reunite Irene with her family are underway, as the Embassy of the Philippines has been contacted by the police.