Anambra disowns newly elected LG chairman arrested for $3.3m romance scam in US

The government of Anambra State has distanced itself from the case of the newly elected chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, Franklin Nwadialo, who was arrested last week in Texas, United States, for allegedly running a $3.3m romance scam.

Nwadialo who was elected chairman of the Ogbaru LGA in the recently held council polls on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was reportedly arrested for engaging in a serial romance scam where he allegedly defrauded several vulnerable women.

The US Department of Justice which confirmed Nwadialo’s arrest in a statement, said the 40-year-old politician who had been in the wanted list of US authorities, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on arrival in Texas and is facing a 14-count charge and risks a 20-year sentence if found guilty.

In its statement, the Department said Nwadialo used various versions of the name ‘Giovanni’ when he met his victims online on websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café.

“Nwadialo used false images for his profile and typically told the victims that he was in the military and deployed overseas so he could not meet the victims in person,” the statement said.

“Using these personas, Nwadialo invented many reasons he needed the victims to send him money.

“In one such case in 2020, he indicated he had been fined by the military for revealing his location to the victim. He asked the victim to help him pay the $150,000 fine. In all, that victim was defrauded of at least $2.4 million.”

The Department of Justice also cited another instance where Nwadialo allegedly contacted a second victim in 2019 to help move funds from US accounts to accounts controlled by him and his syndicate.

READ ALSO: Hunters rescue kidnapped person in Anambra

“In this instance, Nwadialo represented that he needed the help moving money in connection with his father’s death. The victim transferred at least $330,000 to the accounts controlled by the defendant,” the department stated.

“A third victim was defrauded by Nwadialo when he told her that he was investing money for her. He claimed that a check she received from another victim was proceeds from her investments, and he had her reinvest the money in a specific cryptocurrency account that he controlled. The victim transferred at least $270,000 at Nwadialo’s direction.

“Finally, in August 2020, Nwadialo defrauded another victim who he met on an online dating site and caused this victim to transfer at least $310,000 by claiming he needed financial assistance, including help paying for his father’s funeral or his son’s school tuition.”

However, the state government, in a statement on Saturday, washed its hands off the case, saying it cannot speak for Nwadialo as he is not a government appointee.

In the statement issued by state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Dr Law Mefor, the government declared that it is left to the people who elected him to answer for him as the development is part of the country’s local government autonomy.

Mefor insisted that Nwadialo is not answerable to Governor Chukwuma Soludo in any form and manner because he was elected by his people and not the government.

“He was chosen by his people and the political party he belongs to. He’s not an appointee of Soludo, therefore I cannot speak for his conduct,” Mefor said.

“Those who elected him should answer such questions whether the offence is true or not because I only speak for the state government and not local government. Autonomy has come now,” he said.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now