Police nab 2 over romance scam in Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre said it has arrested two suspects over criminal conspiracy, identity theft and romance scams in Abuja. The Force Public Relations Officer,  ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. He said the arrest of the suspects was in furtherance of the matching order of the Acting Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to bequeath a safer cyber space to Nigerians. Adejobi said the suspects, residents of Panasonic Estate in Idu, Abuja, have confessed to their participation in computer-related frauds, associated with romance scams and identity theft. The police spokesman said substantial evidence from their electronic devices had shed light on their criminal activities. He said one of the suspects, a former student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), claimed to have been in the music industry since 2016 and also operates a public relations company. Adejobi said the suspect had confessed to being  engaged in fraudulent activities since 2014 through Facebook. The police spokesman said investigation had also uncovered compelling evidence linking him to fraud and romance scams till date. He said the two suspects were close associate, adding that the second suspect was arrested along with the first suspect. Adejobi said the second suspect had claimed that his visit to the residence of the first suspect was for music recording purposes. ‘However, he admitted to having a unique connection with a 69-year-old white woman, known as Winnie, whom he identifies as both a fan and a friend. “This connection goes beyond casual friendship as evidence indicating a series of cash exchanges between him and the elderly woman have come to light,” he said. Adejobi pledged the commitment of the Nigeria Police to ensure the safety and security of citizens by relentlessly cracking down on criminal activities. He urged the public to remain vigilant and cautious when interacting with individuals online, especially those they have not met in person.