Anambra State government has washed its hands off the case of the newly elected chairman of Ogbaru LGA, Franklin Nwadialo, arrested in Texas, United States (US), for allegedly running a $3.3m romance scam.

The state government said it cannot speak forhim as he’s not a government appointee.

The government yesterday declaredthat it is left tothe people who elected him toanswer for him, adding that the development is part of the local government autonomy.

The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Dr Law Mefor, disclosed this while speaking with The Nation on the arrest of the embattled LG chair.

Mefor said Nwadialo is not answerable to the governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo in any form and manner because he was elected by his people and not the government.

His words: “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.

“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.”

Nwadialo was reportedly arrested in Texas, United States, for allegedly running a $3.3 million romance scam.

The US department of justice confirmed his arrest in a statement. It noted that Nwadialo is facing a 14-count charge and risks a 20-year sentence if found guilty.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had arrested the 40-year-old LGA chairman on arrival in Texas.

He has been transferred to the Western District of Washington for arraignment.

“According to the indictment, Nwadialo used various versions of the name ‘Giovanni’ when he met his victims online on websites such as Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café,” the statement reads.

“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.

“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 US department of justice cited another instance where the accused contacted a second victim in 2019 to help move funds from US accounts to accounts controlled by him and his co-schemers.

“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.

We’ll investigate allegations – APGA

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Mr Ejimofor Opara, said the party will make its position on the matter known as the appropriate time.

He told The Nation by phonethat they saw the report on social media like any other person, adding that the party is still investing it

“After the investigation, the party will come out to say its position on the matter, for now it’s still a rumour

“Our party is a serious minded one and you know we don’t take such matters lightly. A typical example is what happened to the House of Representatives member recently and APGA frowned at it and came out with a position. This one won’t be an exemption when concluded.

Responding to our inquiry on replacing Nwadialo, Opara said, “nature abhors vacuum, whatever the law says must be followed immediately on that.”

It was gathered that Soludo is not happy with the development as the arrested local government chairman was one of the party members handpicked by the governor during the September 28,2024 local government election.

“The 14 counts of wire fraud relate to the communications with Nwadialo and the wiring of funds from victims to the defendant and his co-schemers.”

The case is being prosecuted by Sok Jiang, an assistant United States attorney. (The Nation)