Lynn Shia Soo Me, a Singaporean woman, has narrated how she was scammed into marriage by a Nigerian man and allegedly subjected to physical, mental, and financial abuse for over 11 years, a report by SaharaReporters has shown.
Lynn said her Nigerian ex-husband who she identified as Michael Moses asked her to leave their son, Abraham with him in the United States and return to Singapore to work and earn money.
According to her, she returned to Singapore as he had demanded. She said initially, she was able to see her now 5-year-old son and spoke to him on the phone and video calls but since October 2019, she has not been able to see him as her ex cut off all communication with her.
In her new book, Ms Lynnocent, she tells the entire story from how she met the Nigerian, moved with him to the United States, had a divorce, and finally how she was pushed back to Singapore to earn money for her ex-husband as a criterion for seeing her son.
In an interview with TheIndependentSingapore, Lynn cried as she recalled how the Nigerian man took her to Kuala Lumpur.
She divorced her first husband and left her three daughters after meeting Michael in 2008 when she was 41. She said she did not realise he wanted to marry her to settle down in Singapore.
Unable to get a Singapore visa, the man took her to Kuala Lumpur in January 2009. A couple of months later, he took her to Nigeria where they spent a week and registered their marriage.
She said, “Michael planned on registering our marriage in Nigeria. He bought tickets to Nigeria. And there, we got married. While in Nigeria, he never introduced his parents or friends. In fact, we never met any of them. It was just the two of us. We stayed in a hotel. What do we do next?”, I asked him with excitement. I was joyous that we were finally married,” Lynn narrated.
“We go back to Singapore and apply for a long-term visa, he answered.”
They returned to Singapore and soon after, she got pregnant. Unsuccessful in his bid to settle down in Singapore, he wanted a new life in America.
Before going to the US, she visited her parents’ house in Singapore. But they did not allow her to give birth in their home when they found out she was carrying his child.
Michael went to America in May 2015 and Lynn joined him there in August 2015. They stayed in Dallas in Texas. She said there she found out that he had even lied to her about his age and that he was planning to divorce her to marry another woman.
“I am not four years younger than you, Lynn. I am actually fourteen years younger,” he told her.
Eventually, Michael divorced Lynn in October 2015 and married a US citizen called Beula. But he told Lynn his new marriage was only temporary. Lynn gave birth to her son Adrian on December 1, 2015.
Distanced from her family and estranged, Lynn had no other choice but to stay with Michael in the United States, with their son. She alleged he would often abuse her physically.
“Worse, he would rape me in front of Abraham. I wasn’t spared even during my periods. To let a child see such horrendous acts, was unforgivable,” she recalled.
“Abraham, without a clue, would stay beside and wipe my tears, while Michael continued to ravish me. I had no clue as to why a man who said he loved me turned so cruel.”
Lynn claimed that on October 29, 2019, Michael forced her to pack up and return to Singapore, and told her to earn money for him and their son. Lynn said that she was told if she did not set up a “fund” for him, she would never see her son again. Her son Adrian was three years old when she left him behind in America.
After returning to Singapore, she started working in the healthcare industry. She had never worked before other than a few months before her first marriage, some 28 years ago. Initially, she was able to see her son and speak to him on the phone and on video calls. However, a few months later, all contact allegedly ceased and she has not been able to see her son again. She did not send him any money, suspecting he was scamming her.
Now she is 54. Michael, who is 14 years younger than her, is 40 and Adrian, five years old. Still pining for her son, Lynn has not given up hope.
Her book, Ms Lynnocent, is her attempt at raising funds to return to the United States and get her son back.
Lynn has also started on an online petition to help reunite with her son.
In the petition, Lynn said she can only reveal his identity and SSN once authorities are convinced and when they contact her.
“Every day is a plight for me now. Every night I cry. I want my son. He is not giving. Hence, I am making this request. He doesn’t even allow me to see my son even in video. He went and wrongfully added him as a custodial parent by making the authorities to believe that I ran away to Singapore. The fact is he asked me to go to Singapore with a cheating plan. I beg, cry, lament and plead…Please help me to get back to my son by signing this petition.” she wrote.
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