The Police Command in Ogun State has arrested a suspect, Adewale Arojah, for allegedly impersonating a cleric on Facebook and defrauding victims of over N18 million.
The command’s spokesman Oluseyi Babaseyi, a deputy superintendent of police, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abeokuta, the state capital.
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Mr Babaseyi said the suspect was arrested by police operatives of the Ilaro division following a complaint lodged on 3 October by one Muyiwa Akogun, popularly known on Facebook as “Prophet Dr. Muyiwa Akogun.”
He said Mr Akogun had reported that members of the public were complaining about fraudulent activities being carried out through a duplicated Facebook account bearing his identity.
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According to Mr Babaseyi, the suspect was a spiritual son of Mr Akogun and has allegedly used the cleric’s identity to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
He said upon receipt of the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ilaro, immediately deployed intelligence and detective operatives to track the suspect.
He noted that sustained technological monitoring and intelligence-led investigation led to the suspect’s arrest in a village in Ajegunle in the Ilaro/Ibogun axis.
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“Upon his arrest, the suspect confessed during interrogation to impersonating Akogun and using his identity to offer fake prophecies and prayer services to unsuspecting victims.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect targeted people seeking spiritual assistance through the cleric’s Facebook page and allegedly defrauded victims in Nigeria and abroad of over N18 million.
“The suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation to determine the extent of the alleged offences and identify possible accomplices,” he said.
Mr Babaseyi quoted the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, as commending the Ilaro operatives for their vigilance and swift response.
Mr Ojajuni reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling cybercrime, identity theft and other forms of criminality in the state.
He also advised members of the public to verify the authenticity of social media accounts belonging to religious leaders and public figures before engaging with them.
He urged citizens to avoid transferring money to unverified persons for spiritual remedies or other services.
Mr encouraged members of the public to report cybercrime, impersonation and suspicious activities through the Gateway Shield toll-free line, 0800 000 9111, or 09164859299 and 09154293464.
(NAN)
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