ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A 26-year-old man, Somtochukwu Franklin, has been arrested by the Police Operatives of the Enugu State Command, for allegedly faking and using the Facebook account name and details of one Emmanuel Okoh, popularly known as Okwuluora, to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
In a press release issued on Wednesday by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, Franklin was arrested on 3 December, 2023.
Voiceofnaija.ng reports that a preliminary investigation by the Police revealed that the suspect confessed to the act of crime, stating that he created the fake “Okwuluora” Facebook account in January 2023 and has since been using it to solicit funds from his over thirty-three thousand followers.
The suspect further stated that he usually waits for the actual “Okwuluora” to make a post, soliciting support for persons in situations requiring financial assistance.
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Upon sighting such posts, he (the suspect) immediately copies and posts them on the fake Facebook account and changes the beneficiary’s account details to his, thereby fraudulently obtaining funds from unsuspecting donors.
Franklin added that he has, by so doing, received funds running into tens of thousands of Naira from donors.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (State CID), to conduct a further thorough investigation and timely prosecution of the suspect.
The CP, therefore, enjoins victims of the fraudulent act to report to the State CID and volunteer their statements, while also calling on the citizenry to be wary of social media impostors and their fraudulent activities, especially this yuletide.