Joyce Mbalo thought she had met her prince charming when she met Alfred Bangura, a foreigner, on the dating site Badoo.
In a cautionary tale of the dangers of online dating, Mbalo, 25, narrated to the police at Ruaka Police Station how she was swept off her feet with the romantic messages the man shared as they chatted on phone for several days.
A report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) revealed that what started as a highly-romantic affair only turned out to be a nightmare on the very first physical date.
According to her, Bangura asked her out on a date scheduled for Monday, February 3, 2021, and the two internet lovebirds met in-person at a petrol station in Marurui, an upper-middle-class neighbourhood that borders Garden Estate on your way to the more affluent Runda. On the northern side, Marurui borders Kahawa West.
“They later met at a petrol station in Marurui and together drove towards Kahawa West in the suspect’s vehicle,” the report read in part.
However, in an unfortunate turn of events, instead of driving his new catch to a fancy restaurant as is the usual custom on a first date, the man turned on his date and robbed her of her valuables, and kicked her out of the car.
Distressed, Mbalo reported the matter to the police who launched a manhunt for the suspect.
“He was found to be a foreigner from Sierra Leone and lacked proper documentation,” the DCI said.
