The police said the suspect confessed to the crime and would be charged to court soon.
The Police Special Fraud Unit, SFU, has arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly operating an internet fraud syndicate that specializes in defrauding unsuspecting wealthy foreign women who are in dire need of husbands.
Henry Ogu, and his accomplice, Yunusa Okonkwo, 42, were arrested after defrauding a New Jersey lady of US$350,000 (about N56 million) via an internet dating site.
In a statement on Wednesday, the SFU said that it received an e-mailed petition from a U.S. citizen, whom it did not name, sometime in April 2013. The petitioner alleged that she met Mr. Ogu on a dating site.
According to the petition, the couple started a relationship which lasted for months until the Mr. Ogu allegedly manipulated and made the lady to believe that he was in trouble in Nigeria and needed some financial assistance.
“She further stated that she sent the sum of $350,000.00 US Dollar to the two account numbers provided by the suspect,” the police said in the statement signed by Ngozi Isintume-Agu, Police Public Relations Officer, SFU.
“The account numbers belonged to Faneece Business Services International, owned by Mr. Okonkwo of No. A1 Giwa Road, U/Muazu Kaduna where he was subsequently arrested. His arrest led to the arrest of the principal suspect, Henry Chinedu Ogu.”
Mr. Okonkwo, a native of Amuri Nkanu West local council of Enugu State, is a patent medicine dealer who runs a Bureau De Change.
He confessed that he is the account holder of Faneece Business Services International, according to the police, and admitted that he provided his two bank accounts for the transactions.
“He also stated that the 2nd suspect, Henry, provided him with his account number where he transferred the money after converting it to Naira. The account detail is … with account name Raydeus Synergy Nigeria Limited. He also added that he always deduct his commission of N2.00 per Dollar before paying in the money,” said the police.
“Henry Chinedu Ogu, from Amafor – Ishingwa Umuahia, Abia State, claimed to be one of the Directors of a company called Raydeus Synergy Nigeria Limited. He confessed to the alleged crime that he sent the account details of the 1st suspect to the victim who in turn paid the sum of $295,000.00 Dollars into the account which the 1st suspect Yunusa converted to Naira before paying into his Diamond Bank.
“He corroborated the Complainant’s statement that they met on a dating site last year January 2013 and started communicating and exchanging e-mails.
“He also confessed that he deceived the victim into believing that he wanted to marry her but was stranded in Nigeria and needed financial assistance. He further admitted that he had spent all the money, that he used N9million to purchase a heavy duty generating plant which the Police had recovered.
“Also he purchased a plot of land for N800,000.00 along Lagos – Ibadan Expressway. The cash sum of N2million was also recovered from him.”
The police said that investigation has continued and the suspect would be charged to court soon.
“The Commissioner of Police, SFU, CP Umar Farouk Idris uses this medium to reassure the public of the Unit’s commitment to fight internet fraudsters and advises that such cases should be promptly reported through the Unit e-mail addresses: specialfraudunitlagos@yahoo.com sfulagos@yahoo.com info@specialfraudunit.org.ng,” the police added.
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