Police in India have arrested a 47-year-old Nigerian, Oliver Ugwu Okechukwu, accused of swindling a woman from Ilkal town in Karnataka State out of Rs 5.5 lakh (about ₦9.5 million) through a marriage scam.
The suspect, who allegedly posed as a wealthy professional based in London, was tracked down in Mumbai by operatives of the Cyber Economic and Narcotics (CEN) police after months of investigation.
According to Bagalkot Superintendent of Police Siddarth Goel, Okechukwu had been operating under a fake identity he created on a matrimonial website. “The bandits abducted his wife, Haja Fatima, and his daughter, Amina, and took them to an unknown destination,” SP Goel said.
Investigators revealed that Okechukwu introduced himself online as “Satya Amit” and carefully built a relationship with his target, a divorcee searching for a partner. He convinced her he was ready to marry, eventually gaining her trust.
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The scam reached its climax about 18 months ago when the Nigerian allegedly called the victim, claiming he had flown into India but was detained at the airport. He told her customs officers had confiscated foreign currency worth Rs 1 crore and pleaded with her to send Rs 5.5 lakh to help him out.
Believing she was helping her fiancé, the woman transferred the money via RTGS into a bank account he provided. Shortly after, Okechukwu severed all contact, prompting her to report the matter to cybercrime authorities.
Police disclosed that the Nigerian maintained several accounts under false names to launder money from his schemes. Authorities are now examining whether other women across India may have also fallen prey to him.
The arrest has renewed concerns over the growing involvement of foreign nationals in online scams in India, with police stressing that romance fraud cases have been on the rise. Officials say they are strengthening surveillance of digital platforms to curb such crimes.
Okechukwu remains in custody and is expected to be charged under India’s cybercrime and fraud laws.
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