The Nigeria Police Force apprehended an imposter, Igwe Gift Okechukwu, engaged in various criminal activities such as conspiracy, organ trafficking, fraud, cybercrime, stealing, impersonation, cheating, and identity theft. The arrest occurred in Nasarawa State, as the suspect was involved in fraudulent activities in Owerri, Imo State, as reported by the Force Criminal Investigation Department.
The suspect, using the alias Henry Ovie and falsely presenting himself as a neurologist recently transferred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Owerri, deceived a point-of-sale (POS) operator, Anita Chinwe Mathias. Under the guise of processing a transaction, the suspect manipulated Mathias into entering a code on her POS machine, resulting in the unauthorized withdrawal of twenty-one million naira (N21,000,000) from her account. This led to the filing of a police report.
Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, provided details during a press conference in Abuja, explaining the suspect’s method of building trust with the victim, sending funds to her account, and later tricking her into facilitating the fraudulent withdrawal by entering a code.
Anita, the complainant, disclosed that the suspect used multiple identities and phone numbers, presenting himself as Igwe Richard and Ovie Henry. The victim reported the incident to the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja, prompting swift action by intelligence officers leading to the suspect’s arrest.
Investigations uncovered the imposter’s involvement in organ trafficking, with connections to a contact in Toronto, Canada. The fake doctor had changed his phone number and relocated from Owerri to Lafia, Nasarawa State, where he was apprehended.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, reaffirmed the force’s dedication to combatting crimes and ensuring community safety. The IGP assured the public of an ongoing extensive investigation, pledging that all individuals involved in these criminal acts will be brought to justice and prosecuted accordingly.