A Kuje Prison inmate, Ifeanyi Ezenwa, described by police detectives as a super serial fraudster, who specialises in using fake bank alerts to defraud victims millions of naira right from inside the prison, has committed another crime again.
His latest crime comes four months after he threatened to sue four national newspapers for N4 billion for publishing how he had been carrying out his fraudulent activities and heading a fraud syndicate even while in prison.
Ezenwa committed this latest crime in July.
Ezenwa, who is currently in Kuje Maximum Prison, Abuja, coordinates his operations from there.
He poses as a Chief Executive Officer of a company in the United Kingdom, as a king and chief as well as an American doctor.
A police source said: “Intelligence Response Team operatives went to prison and confirmed that he is there.
“He used to pose as a chief and king on social media.”
The police also said that Ezenwa had masterminded many frauds, leading to the financial ruin of many businessmen and women.
It was also gathered that Ezenwa has 17 different fraud cases pending in different courts.
This latest discovery, if taken to court, would make it 18.
A police source said: “Ezenwa collected 15 brand new cars from a popular company that sells cars.
“This particular company is among the biggest car dealers in Nigeria.
“He also collected five new cars from another dealer in Abuja.
“Once he collects such cars, he will send fake bank alerts.”
The arrest of Ezenwa was led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.
In this latest incident, Ezenwa would have gotten away with his crime if not that he was caught on a Close Circuit Television.
The CCTV showed Ezenwa, posing as a rich man, in a shop that sells wheel chairs.
Incidentally, Ezenwa calmly left prison, accompanied by prison warders, to carry out this fraud.
Police now believe that warders are part of Ezenwa’s fraud syndicate.
A police source said: “The suspect and his members wanted to defraud the medical store of the automatic wheel chairs.
“They took him for medical check-up in National Hospital, and after they took him to the store to buy some things he said he needed.
“He dressed as a rich guy; how he got the clothes is yet unknown.
“He dressed, looking rich and the warders followed him like bodyguards.”
Our correspondent gathered that operatives have gone to the medical store and collected the store owner’s statement.
According to the store owner, he had already reported the case to X-Squad.
The police source disclosed: “The store owner said that on the fateful day in question, Ezenwa walked into his store and instructed one of the prison warders to pay for all he had bought that day.
“The store owner said that it was the prison warders that carried his phone and money, while he posed as a chairman.
“The complainant said that one of the prison warders held a gun and opened the door for him.
“After visiting the store, he now went back to the prison, called the management and sent a fake bank alert.
“He then sent Dalhatu Yahaya to go and pick the wheel chair.
“Obviously, prison warders are really helping him.
“It was the complainant that gave police the CCTV footage.
“The complainant said that Ezenwa, aside from the automatic wheel chair, collected other goods and later paid with fake bank alert.
“His boy, Yahaya, was later arrested and took us to the super market.
“Preliminary investigation showed that Ezenwa was allowed to leave to leave prison, with those prison warders, because he claimed he wanted to go for medical attention at the National Hospital, but soon, he was at the supermarket, ordering different items and with the warders acting like as guards.”
It was gathered that operatives of the IRT recovered a brand new Toyota Hilux from the suspect.
He used a fake bank alert to buy the car from Elizade Motors in Abuja from prison.
The police source further noted: “Yahaya was the person Ezenwa sent to collect the Hilux vehicle of N17 million from the car stand.
“He moved it to Kano and sold it for N9 million, where police recovered it.
“Yahaya confessed that his superior in the prison, aka Igwe, sent him to collect the motor from the car stand.
“Yahaya also said that he gave his boss the N9 million.
“The Manager of Elizade Motors was suspended because of this car and he had to meet us to solve the matter.”
Another police source alleged that prison warders working with Ezenwa are being paid by him.
He said: “Some of the prison warders are working with him.
“Yahaya used to bring the goods and money, while the prison warders would collect and deliver for him.
“Police investigation has revealed that Ezenwa used to buy cows and slaughters inside the prison every week.
“All persons close to him used to benefit from the good food, meat and other goodies.
“He lives in a self contained room fully furnished inside Kuje Prison with AC, TV, fridge, exercise machines.”
