Police Arrest Man For R@ping Victims He Lured From Dating Apps

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested Belema Ibama, a 38-year-old man accused of luring women through online dating platforms and sexually abusing them.

Ibama, a father of four daughters, allegedly posed as “Mr. Anderson,” a British engineer working on an offshore oil rig, to entice his victims to hotels where he drugged, raped, and robbed them.

The culprit was arrested after more than 20 women submitted police charges accusing a man known as “Engineer Anderson” of sexual assault after inviting them on dates. According to police investigations, Ibama has been engaging in this criminal conduct since 2019 and was previously sentenced to six months in prison in 2021, only to be released owing to a lack of witnesses.

Further investigations found that Ibama was detained by the Delta State Police Command in 2020 on identical allegations, but he jumped bail and escaped to Port Harcourt. After being released from jail in 2022, he resumed his criminal activities in November 2023, allegedly targeting more than 20 women before being arrested in May 2024.

One of his victims described how she met Ibama on the dating app Tinder, and during their first in-person meeting at a hotel in Port Harcourt, he spiked her drink, leading her to pass out. She later awoke to discover that her things, including an iPhone and cash, had been stolen. This prompted her to report the incident to the police, launching the investigation that eventually led to Ibama’s incarceration.

During his arrest, authorities discovered tablets assumed to be Tramadol and Rohypnol, as well as 15 mobile phones, four women’s watches, and two handbags believed to belong to his victims. Ibama admitted to utilizing dating apps like Bumble and Tinder to seek his victims, using names like “Engineer Val Anderson” or “Mr. Anderson.”

Ibama also detailed his method for getting ATM pins, stating that he would urge victims to pay for food or drinks with their cards while surreptitiously memorizing their pin numbers. He would assault them while they were unconscious and withdraw money from their ATM cards.

The suspect allegedly admitted to selling stolen things in mobile phone outlets. He is currently in police custody, and further investigation is underway.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli