A job seeker, Abiola Ogunseye, has fallen victim to a fraudster who impersonated a Lagos-based telecommunications mogul, Mike Adenuga.
The suspect, Ehipboh Lucky, had reportedly opened a Facebook account, using the name and picture of the businessman.
The police said 24-year-old Lucky, via the social media platform, told unsuspecting members of the public that he could help them secure employment at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.
Ogunseye was said to have shown interest in the NNPC job and initiated discussion with the suspect.
Lucky reportedly told Ogunseye to raise N1.5m so he could use it to bribe some top officials of the NNPC to get the employment.
The victim had reportedly paid over N1m to the suspect before it dawned on him that he had been defrauded.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the fraud, said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Cultism unit of the command were directed to go after the suspect after the case was reported.
He said the efforts of the operatives paid off on November 6, 2017 when the Edo State indigene was tracked down.
He said, “The command arrested Lucky for impersonating Dr Mike Adenuga. The suspect was arrested following a complaint by Ogunseye whom the suspect had defrauded up to the tune of N1,028,770. The suspect opened a Facebook account with the name and picture of the business mogul which he has been using to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
“One of his victims, Ogunseye, came into contact with him on Facebook where he promised to get employment for him at the Nigeria National Petroleum Company. He asked the victim to pay the sum of N1.5m to settle some members of management board of the cooperation who will influence his appointment.
“The sum of N1,028,770 had been paid to the suspect before the victim realised that he is a fraudster. The victim lodged a complaint via a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Iliyasu, and the Officer-in-Charge of Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Cultism unit, CSP Opeyemi Kujoore, was directed to go after the suspect. After weeks of investigation, the suspect was apprehended last Monday.”
The PPRO stated that one iPhone 6, a Dell laptop, eight different SIM cards, five Automated Teller Machine cards, and one passport were recovered from the suspect, adding that he would be charged to court after investigation.
Meanwhile, a check by our correspondents on the Internet showed that there could be other fraudsters impersonating Adenuga on Facebook.
As of Wednesday, a search on Facebook revealed that 13 accounts were opened with the name and pictures of the businessman.
While some of the accounts bore Mike Adenuga, others read Michael Adenuga.
A post in one of the supposed impersonated accounts asked farmers and businessmen to subscribe to an empowerment loan.
The post read, “The Federal Government is giving out empowerment loan to full-time businessmen and farmers with a little interest and percentage in conjunction with World Bank and CBN. I urge you to take this chances (sic) to better your lives. If interested, kindly notify me.”
Punch
