- A suspected internet fraudster, Abiodun Joseph, who defrauded two ladies while impersonating the Ooni of Ife has been arrested
- The Ogun state police command disclose that the suspect had allegedly obtained the sum of N600,000 illegally through money transfer
- Joseph revealed that he opened the Facebook account in October last year, purposely to defraud people
A suspected internet fraudster, Abiodun Joseph, who impersonated the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Facebook has been has been arrested by the Ogun state police command
Joseph who is accused of defrauding two Nigerian ladies based in the United States of America (USA) of various sums of money was arrested last Wednesday, April 19, at Ilese in Ijebu north east local council of the state.
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The Ogun state police command paraded the suspect at the force headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta on Monday, April 24, Guardian reports.
The police disclosed that the suspect had allegedly obtained the sum of N600,000 illegally through money transfer.
The suspect, Joseph said he opened the Facebook account October last year, purposely to defraud people.
The state’s commissioner of police, Ahmed Iliyasu, said Joseph had been using his Facebook and Whatsapp accounts to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
“On interrogation, he owned up to the crime and confessed that he has duped some people to the tune of N600,000,” Iliyasu said.
According to Joseph, he opened the Facebook account October last year, purposely to defraud people.
He said he uploaded Ooni’s pictures from the internet and used them on his Facebook account and in no time, people mostly ladies began to send him requests, thinking he is the monarch.
Joseph revealed that many ladies, thinking he was genuine, sent requests to him that they wanted to be his ‘Oloris’ (wives) and this was how he was able to defraud some of them.
“In our chats, I told them that they had to pay some money if they were really interested in being my Olori. Two of them based in the United States of America sent N600,000 to me through money transfer. One sent N350,000 and the second one sent N250,000," he said.
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The suspect, however, noted that one of ladies among the numerous ladies who wanted to be ‘Olori’ had demanded that he buy her a house worth N45 million.
He said he told her that she had to pay N5 million out of the amount and he would make up the balance for her.
According to Joseph, he was still waiting for that N5 million last Wednesday when the police swooped on his residence and arrested him.
He, however, said he regretted his action and sought the forgiveness of Oba Ogunwusi.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com has reported that the Nigerian Army, 82 Division, Enugu, says a naval patrol team has arrested one Mr Abdullahi Yakubu at Kara, Atani road, Onitsha, Anambra for alleged impersonation.
Col. Sagir Musa, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, made the disclosure on Friday in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha.
Musa said the incident occurred at about 12 noon on April 10, noting that Yakubu was at the time of his arrest, dressed in the Nigerian Army camouflage uniform and combat boots.
The deputy director said the suspect had since been questioned at the Regiment’s Military Police Orderly Room, with the view to handing him over to the police for further action.
In the video below, the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, in an exclusive interview with NAIJ.com.com, speaks about the ancient Ife kingdom.
