The Delta State Police Command has arrested three men accused of impersonating senior government officials to defraud members of the public with promises of employment, political appointments and other government privileges.
The suspects, identified as Aghogho Okpogbodu, Moses Exist and Benjamin Owah, were arrested by detectives attached to the Area Command in Effurun following an investigation into the alleged fraud syndicate.
The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said preliminary findings indicated that the suspects allegedly used SIM cards registered in the names of prominent public officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and the Delta State Governor’s Chief of Staff, Prince Johnson Erijo.
In one of the alleged cases, the suspects reportedly posed as the Delta Director of Protocols and collected N5.475m from a community leader under the pretence of facilitating his appointment as the community’s president-general.
A search of the suspects’ premises led to the recovery of seven mobile phones, 17 SIM cards, 12 ATM cards bearing different account holders’ names, a point-of-sale terminal and some documents.
The state Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale, warned members of the public against relying on caller identification applications to verify callers’ identities, particularly when they request money or promise government appointments.
He urged anyone who may have been defrauded by the suspects or through similar schemes to provide credible information to assist the investigation.
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