Lagos police apprehend fraudulent woman posing as customs officer
The Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, has apprehended a woman suspected of posing as a female customs officer and defrauding numerous unsuspecting individuals of large sums of money through the fraudulent sale of auction vehicles.
Following the arrest, Mr. Ali Mohammed Ari, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 2, urged the public to exercise caution when conducting business transactions online, as fraudsters are increasingly active.
Providing details on the arrest, SP Hauwa Idris Adamu, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (ZPPRO) for Zone 2 Command, stated, “On April 12, 2023, a petition was submitted by Mr. Josiah Kashim Utenwojo and Mr. Dominic Okoh Henry to the AIG, regarding a woman named Rakiya Musa. She had purported to be an officer from the Nigeria Customs Service (NIS), responsible for the Public Auction Unit at Tin Can Port in Apapa, Lagos. Rakiya resided at the Nigeria Air Force Mess Apapa for three months, thereby leading her victims to believe she was a Customs officer.”
“In response to the petition, the AIG promptly assigned a team of skilled detectives from the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department to conduct an investigation. The operatives swiftly commenced their inquiries,” Adamu continued.
“After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the victims had been introduced to Rakiya by a retired Naval officer named Akinwande Kayode. He instructed them to seek her assistance in procuring auction vehicles from the Nigerian Customs Service. Consequently, a total sum of N3,200,000 was transferred to Rakiya’s personal account with UBA. Once the funds were received, she cut off communication with the victims. All attempts to reach her proved futile,” Adamu explained.
“However, through diligent investigative work, she was eventually apprehended in Abuja. Customs identification cards and a Customs Clearing Agent ID were recovered from her possession. She was subsequently brought to Lagos for further investigation,” Adamu added.
“During questioning, she admitted to impersonating a Customs Officer for the purpose of defrauding unsuspecting members of the public. She confessed to having engaged in this illicit activity for over 15 years. Additionally, she claimed to have given her boyfriend, Akinwande Kayode, N1,000,000 from the N3,200,000 fraudulently obtained from the victims,” Adamu revealed.
“In light of these revelations, the general public is advised to remain vigilant against the schemes of this fraudster, who has been swindling individuals out of their hard-earned money. The investigation is ongoing, and once completed, the suspect will be promptly charged in court,” Adamu concluded.
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