Fraudsters make N20m posing as Tinubu, NSA others

A notorious syndicate that specialises in impersonating prominent politicians and public office holders has been cracked by the Police Intelligence Response Team after surveillance and tracking, with four members arrested.
Speaking while parading the suspects at Force Headquarters, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said the suspects impersonated the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari; Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the national leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu.
Other prominent Nigerians impersonated by the gang, according to the Police’s spokesman, include the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Minister of State, Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu; Finance and Transport Ministers.
CSP Moshood said: “On February 28, the IGP Intelligence Response Team, IRT, cracked the gang and arrested the members, who posed as prominent Nigerians.
“In a coordinated operation with the Technical Intelligence Unit, TIU, after a painstaking and sustained surveillance by IRT, the suspects were arrested.
“The leader of the four-man notorious syndicate, one High Chief Ovie Ogo, was arrested in a hotel in Kaduna State.
“High Chief Ogo, 47, is a native of Omoku, Rivers State, who impersonates prominent citizens from the South-South and South-East.
“Abdulazeez Eragbe, 40, who was born and brought up in Kaduna, and speaks Hausa fluently, impersonates prominent citizens from the North.
“Babatunde, 49, impersonates prominent citizens from the South-West and North Central, while Samuel Idah, 25, supplies them with SIM cards registered with the names of the prominent citizens.
“All the suspects confessed to the crime, claiming to have made over N20,000,000 from their acts within the last six months.
“Chief Ogo further confessed that he posed as the National Security Adviser and collected N13,000,000 from a Ghanaian, who wanted an oil block in Nigeria.
“The gang also posed as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and collected N4,000,000 from a man seeking Federal Government’s appointment.
“They equally posed as Chief of Staff to the President and collected N2,500,000 from another individual, who was looking for a contract.
“The suspects again posed as the Chief of Staff to President and collected N700,000 from a young man, who was also seeking a Federal Government appointment.
“Investigation is on to arrest the other suspects, while those arrested will be charged to court on completion of investigation.”