A man identified as Igwe Gift Okechukwu has been arrested for allegedly engaging in criminal conspiracy, organ trafficking and fraud.
Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi stated during a press conference in Abuja that Okechukwu was apprehended in Nasarawa state for the above mentioned offences as well as cybercrime, stealing, impersonation, cheating, and identity theft.
He said the suspect who carries out fraudulent activities in Imo, parades as Henry Ovie, a neurologist newly transferred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri.
Adejobi who paraded Okechukwu in Abuja on Friday alleged that he tricked a point of sale (POS) operator, Anita Chinwe Mathias, into entering a code on her POS machine and as a result, the sum of N21 million was withdrawn from her account.
The victim filed police report and operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department swung into action apprehending the suspect in Nasarawa.
He outlined the suspect’s modus operandi, where he built trust with the victim, sent a significant amount to her account, and later tricked her into entering a code that facilitated the fraudulent withdrawal.
The Force spokesperson said Anita, the complainant, recounted how the suspect used multiple identities and phone numbers, posing as Igwe Richard and Ovie Henry.
It was further uncovered that the fake doctor is involved in organ trafficking, with links to a contact in Toronto, Canada.
Investigations revealed that he had changed his phone number and relocated from Owerri to Lafia, Nasarawa State, where he was subsequently tracked and arrested.
According to a statement; “She proceeded to state that on September 11, 2023, the suspect tricked her into entering a code on her POS machine, which she did due to the trust she had for him.
“After the suspect left her place, she noticed that all the money in her POS account was withdrawn, which amounted to the sum of twenty million naira (N21,000,000), and all efforts to reach out to the suspect proved abortive.
“She also went to the Federal Medical Centre, where the suspect claimed to be working, to ask about him and she was told that none of their doctors bears such a name. Immediately, she reported the case to the Force Criminal Investigation Department Abuja, where intelligent officers swung into action to arrest the suspect”.
