How Three Men Allegedly Defraud Urhobo Leader N5.4m Under Pretext Of Appointing Him Community President
LAGOS OCTOBER 26TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The Delta State Police Command have arrested three suspects for defrauding a community leader in the Otu-Jeremi area of the state of N5.4 million under the pretext of securing a ‘president-general’ appointment in the community.
According to the statement released on X by the Delta State Police Command, the suspects, Aghogho Okpogbodu, Moses Exist, and Benjamin, scammed the community leader by impersonating the identities of George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Onoriode Sunday, Director of Protocol to the Government of Delta State, and Prince Johnson Erijo, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Delta State, and even the identity of the Governor himself.
“In one of the cases, the suspects allegedly defrauded a community leader from Otu-Jeremi of the sum of ?5,475,000 under the pretext of facilitating his appointment as President-General of his community,” the statement read.
In a public parade of the three suspects by Bright Edafe, spokesperson for the Delta State Police, Okpogbodu confessed to having impersonated Onoriode. He also explained that some friends helped him manipulate the Truecaller app so that his mobile number displayed the identity of the Director of Protocol whenever it was dialled.
Describing how he and his co-suspects pulled off the scam, he says:
“I told him (the community leader) that I wanted him to get the (position) of president-general, and I said he should send money to me.”
The police also said they discovered more incriminating evidence against the suspects while they searched their abode.
“A search of the suspects’ premises reportedly led to the recovery of seven mobile phones, 17 SIM cards, 12 ATM cards bearing different names, a Point-of-Sale terminal and documents containing financial and identification details belonging to various individuals,” the statement adds.
One of the victims of the syndicate also narrates how he escaped their net:
“I was in my house one evening when he called me. He said he was D.O.P to the state governor. He said he would take me to the governor as we were in the middle of a community leadership tussle. He said the governor would drink, so I should send money to buy kola and drinks.”
Describing how he figured out the scam, he says:
Pulse
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