Suspect Arrested After Allegedly Using Cleric’s Identity To Defraud Victims Of N18m

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested Adewale Arojah for allegedly impersonating a cleric on Facebook and defrauding unsuspecting victims of more than N18 million.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abeokuta.

Babaseyi said Arojah was arrested by operatives of the Ilaro Division after Muyiwa Akogun, popularly known on Facebook as “Prophet Dr Muyiwa Akogun,” reported the creation of a duplicate account using his identity.

According to him, Akogun had received complaints from members of the public about fraudulent activities linked to the account.

Babaseyi said the suspect was a spiritual son of the cleric and allegedly exploited the identity to offer fake prophecies and prayer services to people seeking spiritual assistance.

He said the DPO of Ilaro Division deployed intelligence and detective operatives to investigate the complaint, leading to the suspect’s arrest in a village in Ajegunle, along the Ilaro-Ibogun axis.

The police spokesperson said Arojah confessed during interrogation to impersonating Akogun and using the cleric’s identity to deceive victims.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect targeted people seeking spiritual assistance through the cleric’s Facebook page and allegedly defrauded victims in Nigeria and abroad of over N18 million,” Babaseyi said.

He added that the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, where further investigation would be conducted to establish the full extent of the alleged offences and identify possible accomplices.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ilaro operatives for their swift response and intelligence-led investigation.

Ojajuni urged members of the public to verify social media accounts belonging to religious leaders and other public figures before engaging with them or making payments.

He also advised residents against transferring money to unverified persons for spiritual remedies or other services.

The commissioner urged members of the public to report suspected cybercrime, impersonation and other suspicious activities through the Gateway Shield toll-free line, 0800 000 9111, or 09164859299 and 09154293464.

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