American soldier arrested for alleged fraud in Nigeria

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - An American soldier accused of duping women through a web of Internet and visa fraud has been arrested in southeastern Nigeria, a special anti-crime police squad said on Wednesday.

Police said Garrick Michael, a U.S. citizen, was arrested after he extorted at least three women under the pretext of helping them to secure visas to the United States.

“His victims included Sylva Chineyenwa, Wuchi Peace, and Duny Glory, among others,” the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Dasuki Galadanchi, the police commissioner in the southeast Imo state, as telling reporters.

Michael also confessed to having visa deals with the women but denied he was out to defraud them, the agency reported.

The American reportedly said he was on a visit to his wife who lives in Nigeria when he met the victims of the visa fraud.