A Nigerian author identified as Odibe Emeka has recounted how he became a victim of fraud perpetrated by a lady he met on social media.
The man who resides in Anambra State was duped of $140,000 (N58million) by a Nigerian lady he met on Facebook and he subsequently attempted suicide as a result of the ordeal.
His online girlfriend who is based in Canada, had promised to help him publish and sell his book ‘The Truth, My Journey’ and remit the money as agreed but she reneged.
When Emeka realised he has been scammed, he drank poison and was rushed to St. Charles’ Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha by his aged parents, but luckily, he survived.
He narrated the story while still at Charles’ Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, where he was admitted.
In his words; ”Glory be to God that today I am alive to tell my story.
“The only thing I have in this world is intelligence and I am putting it at good work and people are taking advantage of my intelligence to dupe me.
“I ran into this lady who runs a media outfit in Canada, through Facebook, after authoring a book, ‘The Truth, My Journey’, because I needed money to get it published and sell to the public and she volunteered to do the publishing and sales.
“We had an agreement and in line with the publicity outlines, it was calculated that the first printed 100,000 copies would sell out in six months and fetch me at least $140,000, which would have been used to kick start my company, but the lady who published the book in Canada refused to remit to me the 70 per cent share as stated in the contract.
“She blocked me off all means I could reach her and refused me access to my book. I was so frustrated that I went suicidal by drinking chemical poison but miraculously survived after being rushed to St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, by my aged parents”
“Upon that, the Canada based Nigerian woman from Edo state, a supposed gospel minister, still refused till date to remit to me, a suicidal survivor, my share of the money.”
“I am just crying for help from the world, human rights organisations, media, good-spirited individuals and our able Governor Chukwuma Soludo to come to my rescue to recover my $140,000 from her.
“I apologise to my parents for the trauma they went through when I went on a suicidal mission and all those who contributed to my recovery. Somebody just scammed me because I am a poor Nigerian.
“I am not proud to say I am a suicide survivor and will not advise anybody to take his life no matter the situation. For someone to think that death is the only option left, he may have suffered a lot psychologically, financially, emotionally and in all aspects.”
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