ENTERTAINMENT
How We Arrested 19yr-old Female DELSU Student Who Impersonated Wizkid, Duped Fans Over N12.9m — Manager Sunday Are.
Fresh facts have emerged regarding the identity of the lady who impersonated Nigerian pop star, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, aka Wizkid on social media and defrauded the singer’s fans.
It had been reported that the Lagos State Police Command had arrested the 19-year-old girl, Ifeoma Nelly, who reportedly defrauded many people of over $65,000, equivalent of about N12.9million.
Her arrest reportedly came after the singer complained to the police commissioner that someone had been impersonating him and collecting money for shows.
The police swung into action and the 19-year-old was apprehended.
Nelly is said to be a student of Industrial Chemistry at the Delta State University.
She was reportedly arrested through the combined efforts of Wizkid’s Manager, Mr. Sunday Are, policemen from Lagos and an Australian.
According to the statement by the singer’s manger, the suspected fraudster was arrested when she came to Lagos to collect part payment of $25,000 from some Australians at a hotel in Lagos, so that Wizkid would go to Australia to perform.
Before the suspect used to collect payment via electronic, but because she was desperate to get her hands on the $25,000, she decided to meet the Australian.
Revealing how the suspect was arrested, the statement said, “The lady said she had been posing on Facebook and defrauding people for three years, using Wizkid.”
“Nelly, when asked if she had other members assisting her, insisted that she was the only one running the show.
“She has collected money from different people. If you don’t have evidence against her, she would deny it but if you show her evidence, she would tell you the truth. There was the case of the $53,000, which we had to refund to the owner. She confirmed that she was the one who collected it.
“There was another payment of $12,500 from Germany. The Germany people sent details of how they paid the money to her. She couldn’t deny it.
“We had to start refunding money to different victims when the nefarious activities of the suspect became embarrassing.
“We had been having problems with different clients because of this. We keep refunding all the money. It was an issue.
“When it became serious, we had to refund the money to victims. Some people will just go, write in papers that Wikzid disappointed them. They would say Wizkid and his manager collected money and didn’t come to perform.
Meanwhile, we didn’t know about those shows. The lady, not only use Wizkid’s name to open the Facebook accounts, but also used Wizkid’s name to register the phone she was using.
“Whenever someone calls her or she calls someone, its Wizkid’s name that would show.
“True caller shows Wizkid. We need everybody to help us fight this. We’ve started working towards doing something about the fake accounts.
“I and Wizkid went to Zambia for a show. We were there when I received a call from some people in Australia. The caller said he wanted to know if he was speaking with Sunday Are, Wizkid’s manager. The Australian said that he had been speaking with someone, pretending to be Are.
“The Australian said that he had almost concluded negotiation for Wizkid to come to Australia to perform and was just about to pay $25,000 part payment, when he heard that Wizkid was in Zambia.
“They said someone wanted to collect money from them in Lagos, Nigeria, for Wizkid to come and perform. They now found out that I was in Zambia.
“I planned with them on how to make this arrest. I talked to them to convince the suspect to come and collect cash in a hotel in Lagos. That was how I managed to arrest her.
“She came along with two friends. They were two ladies and a guy. She looked like a guy.
“It took us three to four hours before we could believe she was a lady. She wore native clothes and spotted low cut, like she is Sunday Are. She wore Rolex wrist watch. She bought clothes for the lady that came with her because that one said she didn’t have any clothes good enough to wear to come and collect the money.
“The arrest happened in a hotel in Lagos.
“I planted policemen inside the hotel room. The people gave the lady an Australian number, saying the Australian didn’t have a Nigerian number.
“Everything looked genuine. The show was to be in Australia, the phone number was an Australian number and the man she was speaking with, was a white man. But the man was actually in Australia, directing them to come to the hotel to collect cash.
“They entered the room and we arrested them,” he added.
BIG STORY
Governor Abdulrazaq Commits To Hosting 2025 BON Awards, Makes History As First To Host Consecutive Editions [PHOTOS]
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has announced his agreement to host the 2025 edition of the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards in Ilorin, making him the first Governor in the event’s history to host it for two consecutive years. The Governor expressed his admiration for the 16th BON Awards, praising the event’s vibrant atmosphere and the engaging after-party that showcased the rich cultural and creative potential of Kwara State.
Held at the state-of-the-art Sugar Factory Film Studio in Ilorin, the BON Awards brought together top talents and stakeholders from Nigeria’s movie industry. Governor Abdulrazaq, who personally presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Nollywood icon Kanayo O. Kanayo, commended the organizers for their professionalism and the remarkable success of the event.
“The BON Awards have shown the immense possibilities of Ilorin as a center for creativity and entertainment. I was thrilled by the energy, talent, and warmth that defined this year’s edition. The after-party further reinforced our vision of Kwara as a hub for the creative economy, tourism, and hospitality,” the Governor said.
Governor Abdulrazaq emphasized his desire for Ilorin to become the permanent venue for the BON Awards, citing the city’s unique blend of modern infrastructure, serene environment, and rich cultural heritage.
“I would be honored to host next year’s edition of the BON Awards and beyond. Ilorin is ready to offer unmatched facilities and an enabling atmosphere to support events of this magnitude. With landmark projects like the Sugar Factory Film Studio, Visual Arts Centre, and remodeled Kwara Hotel, we are poised to set a new standard for hosting creative events,” he added.
The Governor extended his appreciation to the Nollywood stars and stakeholders for their significant contributions to the Nigerian creative industry and their warm embrace of Kwara as a destination for film and entertainment.
“We invite the creative community to consider Kwara not just for future productions but also as a home for their endeavors. Together, we can build a creative hub that reflects our shared aspirations for excellence and innovation,” he concluded.
The 16th BON Awards, which featured celebrated actors such as Femi Adebayo, Mercy Aigbe, Toyin Abraham, and many others, was a resounding success, with winners and attendees alike applauding the state’s infrastructure and hospitality.
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