The arrested suspects
Delta State Police Command has arrested three suspected fraudsters accused of impersonating senior government officials and using fake promises of appointments and government opportunities to defraud members of the public.
The suspects, identified as Aghogho Okpogbodu, 51; Moses Exist, 48; and Benjamin Owah, 49, were arrested by detectives attached to the Area Command, Effurun, following an investigation into their alleged involvement in a fraud network.
The police spokesman, SP Bright Edafe, said in a statement on Wednesday, that the suspects allegedly posed as top government officials to gain the confidence of victims, promising them access to jobs, political appointments and other government-related benefits in exchange for money.
According to the Command, investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly used telephone lines linked to the names of prominent public officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, as well as officials connected to the Delta State Government.
Those allegedly impersonated include the Director of Protocol to the Delta State Governor, Chief Hon. Onoriode Sunday, and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Prince Johnson Erijo.
Police investigators said the suspects also allegedly used caller-identification applications on mobile phones to make their calls appear as though they were coming from the officials whose identities had been copied.
The technology, according to the police, was used to create a false sense of trust and convince victims that they were communicating with genuine government representatives.
One of the alleged victims was a community leader from Otu-Jeremi, who was reportedly defrauded of ₦5.475 million after the suspects allegedly promised to facilitate his appointment as the President-General of his community.
The police said a search of the suspects’ locations led to the recovery of several items believed to be connected to their activities.
Items recovered include seven mobile phones, 17 SIM cards, 12 ATM cards belonging to different account holders, one Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal, and documents containing financial and personal identification details of various individuals.
The Command said the recovered materials would assist investigators in tracing other possible victims and uncovering more members of the alleged syndicate.
The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel E. Erale, warned members of the public to be careful when dealing with individuals who claim to represent government officials, especially when money is requested for appointments, employment opportunities or other government privileges.
Erale advised Nigerians not to depend on caller-identification applications as proof of a caller’s identity, noting that such platforms can be manipulated by fraudsters.
He urged anyone who may have fallen victim to similar schemes to come forward with credible information that could support the ongoing investigation.
The Commissioner reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to tackling cyber-related fraud and other criminal activities while ensuring that anyone found culpable faces the full weight of the law.
