A suspected serial fraudster, identified as Cletus Onwe, has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, over an elaborate scheme in which he allegedly impersonated a logistics staff member of Peace Mass Transit (PMT) to defraud customers and steal their parcels.
According to security sources, DSS operatives had been discreetly tracking Onwe — who claims to be from Ebonyi State — following repeated complaints from PMT that several customers were being swindled by an individual posing as a member of its logistics team. The suspect reportedly diverted parcels meant for dispatch to various destinations while also extorting victims of large sums of money disguised as official charges.
Confirmed intelligence indicates that Onwe’s modus operandi involved infiltrating PMT depots across multiple states, taking photographs within the premises, and uploading them online to deceive unsuspecting victims into believing he was a legitimate PMT staff member.
While investigators have yet to determine how long the scheme had been running or the full extent of financial losses incurred by victims, preliminary estimates suggest that the stolen cash and diverted valuables amount to several millions of naira.
Acting on credible information, DSS operatives tracked the suspect to Uyo, where he was arrested last week. It is still unclear whether Onwe operated as part of a larger criminal network or acted alone.
Reacting to the development, Nnamdi Asadu, General Manager of Peace Mass Transit, described the arrest as a major relief to the company, lamenting the severe reputational damage caused by Onwe’s alleged activities.
“Several of our customers had lost money and valuables, having fallen prey to the antics of this unrepentant, unscrupulous person,” he said.
Asadu added that the company had long suspected an impersonator was sabotaging its systems.
“We trust our staff and system as foolproof, but complaints kept coming that some criminal imposter was infiltrating the system and acting without authority and actively sabotaging the system… This made us go all out to track him and burst the criminal set-up!”
He assured customers that PMT remains committed to safeguarding its reputation and maintaining its long-standing integrity.
“Our valued customers are hereby assured that we shall do everything necessary to protect our name and the integrity we have invested so much to maintain since inception,” Asadu stated.
The DSS, after completing its investigations, is expected to transfer the suspect to the police for swift prosecution.
