The officers of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre have arrested a former student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State, and one other for criminal conspiracy, identity theft, and romance scam in Abuja.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday, October 5, 2023.
He said the arrest of the suspects was in furtherance of the marching orders by the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to the force to bequeath a safer cyberspace to Nigerians.
Adejobi said the suspects, residents of Panasonic Estate in the Idu area of Abuja, had confessed to their participation in computer-related fraud, associated with romance scams and identity theft.
The police spokesperson said substantial evidence from their electronic devices shed light on their criminal activities.
He said one of the suspects, a former UNN student, Jerry Okoye, claimed to have been in the music industry since 2016 and also operates a public relations company.
Adejobi said the suspect had confessed to being engaged in fraudulent activities since 2014 through Facebook.
The police spokesperson added that an investigation also uncovered compelling evidence linking him to fraud and romance scams to date.
He said the two suspects were close associates, adding that the second suspect, Ifeanyi Nwosu, was arrested alongside the first suspect.
Adejobi said the second suspect had claimed that his visit to the residence of the first suspect was for music recording purposes.
Adejobi stated: “However, he admitted to having a unique connection with a 69-year-old white woman, known as Winnie, whom he identifies as both a fan and a friend.
“This connection goes beyond casual friendship as evidence indicating a series of cash exchanges between him and the elderly woman have come to light.”
He further pledged the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensuring the safety and security of citizens by relentlessly cracking down on criminal activities.
He, therefore, urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and cautious when interacting with individuals online, especially those they have not met in person.
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