From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a syndicate who opened a fake Facebook account of the NSCDC commandant of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Command, Olusola Odumosu.
They are Henry Ushie Odep (male), 34 years, Cross Rivers State, and Emmanuel Ushie Odep, (male), 23 years, Cross Rivers State.
In a statement, one of the suspects, Emmanuel Ushie, who was the first to be apprehended after being lured to Abuja, made a useful confessional statement which led to the arrest of Henry Ushie Odep, his elder brother, who incidentally had the phone used to operate the fake Facebook account on him at the point of arrest in Asaba, Delta State.
Emmanuel confessed that his brother, Henry Ushie Odep is a yahoo boy and was the one that created the fake Facebook account bearing Olusola Odumosu immediately he was appointed as the FCT Commandant in August, 2023.
He admitted to being the one withdrawing monies sent to the Opay account by his brother (Henry) through POS machines until he was arrested by the officers of the FCT Command in Abuja.
On his part, Henry Ushie Odep informed that he started online fraud in 2016 and he is the one who lured his younger brother, (Emmanuel Ushie) into the fraudulent act because he was disturbing him for (small small) funds. He confessed to duping a lot of unsuspecting Nigerians of different sums of money under different guises in cyberspace.
He also disclosed that he is the same person behind the defrauding of so many people through a fake Facebook account opened in the name of late Helen Amakiri, eight years ago (2016), then an Assistant Commandant General.
“This is one amongst many other accounts they have impersonated and duped people.
“Investigation revealed that they operate Opay, Moniepoint and Palmpay accounts to receive money from unsuspecting persons, but no bank account with traditional commercial banks. They also used two accounts belonging to one Victory Chinagorom, who, according to them, never knew they were into cyber fraud” the statement noted
According to Henry, his friend, Chibuike Okorie introduced him to cyber crime. The said Chibuike is currently in Kuwait as he has relocated from Nigeria.
The following people, Amadi Chisom (F) 31 years old and Mrs. Okafor Evelyn (F) 24 years whose names came up in the course of investigation and arrested alongside the principal suspect, had been granted bail, pending when they would be required in the course of prosecution.
“This is because findings revealed they had no knowledge of the crime committed by the duo of Emmanuel Ushie and Henry Ushie.
“Items recovered from the suspects include: Moniepoint POS machine; Opay POS machine; Tecno Spark 10 phone; Tecno Pop 8 phone and Infinix phone
“Investigation is still ongoing. When it is concluded they will be prosecuted according to the extant laws and we believe that appropriate sanctions would be meted on them.
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“We want to use this opportunity to warn all cyber criminals who specialise in defrauding people of their hard earned money to find legitimate trade to do because, sooner or later, the long arm of the law would catch up with them” NSCDC, warned