Enugu Police Operatives have arrested one Nnamani Joseph, aged 45 over attempt to defraud a businessman of 18 bags of rice valued at about four hundred thousand Naira (N400,000.00) under the guise of buying and using the rice for charity at a church.
A statement by the Spokesperson of Enugu State Police Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe stated that the suspect was nabbed on 20th February by Operatives serving in the Ogui Police Division.
Narrating how the incident happened, Ndukwe said: “On February 14, 2024, being Valentine’s Day, Nnamani went to the premises of a church (name withheld) in Ogui, Enugu, from where he called the businessman (names withheld) on the phone, requesting eighteen (18) 25 kg bags of rice valued with the pretense of wanting to use the same for charity to the church.
“The businessman accordingly supplied the rice and unsuspectingly followed Nnamani to the bank to receive his payment through bank transfer. But in the course of effecting the payment, Nnamani secretly left the bank, went back to the church, and made away with the bags of rice to an unknown destination.
“The suspect, however, could not run or hide for so long, as the Police Operatives, upon receiving the report, embarked on an intelligence-driven investigation, which led to his arrest on February 20, 2024, at Emene, Enugu. Eight (8) out of the eighteen (18) 25 kg bags of rice were recovered from him, after he had re-bagged and sold the other bags at Oye Emene Market, Enugu”
The police spokesman assured that “the suspect and his cohorts will surely have a date with the court of law once investigations are concluded,” while advising “the citizenry, particularly businessmen and women to always be security conscious and wary of whom and how they transact in such circumstances, to avoid falling prey to fraudulent suspects like Nnamani.
“Additionally, while the investigation lasts, person(s) who may have suffered a similar act of fraud by the suspect, are encouraged to report to the mentioned Police Division to volunteer relevant information.”
