Police arrests two men for defrauding Canada-based Nigerian of N140m

Police operatives in Rivers State have arrested two men for allegedly defrauding a Canada-based Nigerian, Sandra Austin, of N140 million.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.

She said the suspects manipulated Austin after she accepted a Facebook friend request from an account bearing the name “Engineer Desmond Chibuike Okechukwu.”

Iringe-Koko recalled how the victim, initially hesitant, eventually accepted the friend request in February 2022.

She said: “The individual behind the account claimed to be a construction engineer with an impressive portfolio of luxurious homes allegedly built for clients.

“The fraudster shared images of high-end properties in Ajah, Lagos, which he claimed to have constructed.

“Sandra expressed interest in one of the properties, and the scammer told her it would cost N150 million to purchase land and complete the development.”

“Believing the fraudster’s claims, Austin started transferring funds to the bank account provided by him.

“By February 2024, she had sent a total of N110 million, and later transferred the final payment of N30 million.

“Shortly after receiving the last installment, the scammer blocked all communication channels with her.”

The spokesperson revealed that the incident left Austin traumatised, and unable to contact the fraudster, she developed hypertension and was hospitalised for a prolonged period.

“The fraudster added to her distress by threatening to kill her family members if she reported the matter to the authorities.

“Once she recovered, Austin contacted her family in Nigeria who reported the case to the police.

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“Following the report, police operatives launched an investigation using intelligence-led techniques to apprehend 29-year-old Michael Onyedikachi, a native of Nkanu West, Enugu, at about 7:00 p.m. on August 24.

“Onyedikachi was found living in a three-bedroom bungalow in Ama-Okponike, Enugu, financed by his fraudulent activities.

“The suspect confessed to operating the Facebook account and sending images of houses to deceive the victim into believing progress was being made on her property.

“During the raid, police officers discovered a shrine in his apartment, believed to have been used for ritual purposes.

“The suspect also confessed that he spent eight months in Accra, Ghana, to learn online fraud techniques.

“Onyedikachi mentioned a 29-year-old accomplice, Akachukwu Benedict, from Ngo-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State.

“Officers later arrested Benedict in a luxurious hotel in Enugu, where he had booked a suite for an entire year.

“Benedict admitted that he introduced Onyedikachi to online fraud in 2022 and confessed that he scammed an American woman named Molissa of $600 in 2021,” Iringe-Koko added.

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