Three In Police Net Over N5.4m Appointment Scam

The Delta State Police Command has arrested three males accused of defrauding a neighborhood chief of N5.475m by allegedly impersonating senior authorities officers and promising to safe his appointment as president-general of his neighborhood.

The suspects, recognized as Aghogho Okpogbodu, 51, Moses Exist, 48, and Benjamin Owah, 49, had been arrested by detectives from the Area Command in Effurun following an investigation into the alleged fraud.

The police mentioned on Tuesday that the suspects allegedly posed as outstanding authorities officers, together with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and officers of the Delta State Government.

They allegedly used SIM playing cards registered within the names of the officers and caller-identification apps to make their calls seem real.

In one of many alleged incidents, the suspects reportedly impersonated the Director of Protocol to the Delta State Governor and picked up N5.475m from a neighborhood chief in Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South Local Government Area, underneath the pretext of securing his appointment as president-general of the neighborhood.

A search of the suspects’ premises reportedly yielded seven cell phones, 17 SIM playing cards, 12 ATM playing cards bearing completely different names, a Point-of-Sale terminal and paperwork containing the monetary and identification particulars of a number of individuals.

The police mentioned investigations had been ongoing to determine different potential victims and accomplices.

The Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale, mentioned, “Members of the public should not rely solely on caller-identification apps when trying to confirm a caller’s identity, especially when the person is asking for money or promising a government appointment.”

He urged anybody who could have been defrauded by the suspects, or who had encountered an identical scheme, to supply helpful info to the police.