The Anambra State government is considering replacing Franklin Nwadialo, the newly elected council chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area, following his arrest by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his alleged involvement in a romance scam.
Nwadialo was detained upon arrival at a Texas airport on charges related to a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme and now faces 14 counts of wire fraud. Indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington in December 2023, Nwadialo allegedly defrauded victims of up to $3.3 million by posing as a U.S. military member stationed overseas. He was taken into custody while traveling from Nigeria and is expected to be transferred to Washington for arraignment.
Anambra State’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Dr. Law Mefor, stated that the government will not comment or defend the charges against Nwadialo. Another government source indicated that the state governor is displeased with the arrest and is considering allowing Nwadialo’s deputy to assume his duties as council chairman. If convicted by U.S. authorities, Nwadialo could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman acknowledged the difficulty of prosecuting international romance scams, as perpetrators are often located outside U.S. jurisdiction. Gorman praised the FBI’s determination to bring Nwadialo to justice.
The indictment details how Nwadialo allegedly used aliases like “Giovanni” on dating platforms, including Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café, where he used fake profiles and claimed to be deployed overseas, making it difficult for victims to meet him in person.