Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have arrested a 22-year-old man, identified as Chigaemezu Joseph Chukwudi, for allegedly raping and blackmailing his 19-year-old neighbour in Owerri.
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Audu Garba Bosso, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the Command headquarters in Owerri.
According to the police boss, the suspect allegedly lured the victim, a seamstress whose identity was withheld, to a hotel in Owerri under the pretext that he wanted her to take his measurements and sew shirts for him and his friends.
Bosso said investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly had non-consensual sexual intercourse with the victim at the hotel, recorded the act on his phone, and later used the video to threaten and intimidate her into further sexual acts.
He added that the suspect allegedly threatened to circulate the video online if the victim refused to comply with his demands.
The police commissioner said detectives of the Command arrested the suspect on May 14, 2026, at about 2:34 p.m. at the roundabout along Orji/Amakohia Road in the Spibat area of Owerri North Local Government Area.
“Investigation revealed that the suspect allegedly deceived the victim into accompanying him to Lekim Royal Hotel and Suites, New Owerri, under the guise of taking measurements and sewing shirts for him, where he allegedly had non-consensual sexual intercourse with her, recorded the act on his phone, and thereafter used the video to threaten, intimidate, and coerce her into further sexual acts, with threats to circulate the video online should she refuse,” Bosso stated.
The commissioner noted that the suspect remains in police custody while investigations continue, adding that he would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Bosso also reiterated the Command’s commitment to maintaining peace and security across Imo State and assured residents that efforts were ongoing to tackle criminal activities and protect law-abiding citizens.
