Enugu: Police Arrest Banker, Two Others Over N4m Fraud

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested three individuals, including a banker, for allegedly conspiring to steal N4 million from a customer’s account through identity theft.

The suspects, Ndulaka Okwudili, Ifeanyi Nnamani (a former bank employee), and Philip Ozogwu (a National Identification Number enrolment agent), were taken into custody on October 18, 2024.

In a statement released on Friday, the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, revealed that the suspects used the identity of Mba Ndukwe, a Nigerian based in Australia, to carry out the fraudulent activity.

Ndukwe’s statement outlined that two of the suspects were charged before the Enugu North Magistrate Court on Thursday and remanded in the Enugu Maximum Custodial Nigerian Correctional Centre. Meanwhile, Ozogwu’s case is still under investigation.

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According to Okwudili’s confession, in October 2023, he discovered a bag at Nowas Junction in Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, containing personal items, including SIM cards from various telecommunications networks. In January 2024, Okwudili inserted an Airtel SIM card from the bag into his phone and received a large credit alert. This prompted him and others to begin withdrawing money from the victim’s account using the USSD banking code.

 

 

By September 2024, when Okwudili had difficulty accessing the account, he visited the bank branch. There, he collaborated with Ifeanyi Nnamani, a bank employee with 17 years of service, who informed him that the account was flagged with a “Post No Debit” status. Nnamani advised Okwudili to obtain a court affidavit and modify his National Identification Number (NIN) details to match those of Mba Ndukwe, the account’s legitimate owner, to bypass the restrictions.

The two then enlisted the help of Philip Ozogwu, the NIN enrolment agent, who unlawfully altered Ndukwe’s NIN, including his name and birthdate, to match the victim’s details without questioning the motives behind the request.

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The fraud was uncovered when Okwudili withdrew an additional N1.5 million, triggering an alert at the bank’s Ohafia, Abia State branch where the account was initially opened. The bank’s Enugu branch management subsequently reported the incident to the police.

Okwudili was arrested on October 18, 2024, while attempting another transaction, and Nnamani was taken into custody. Ozogwu was arrested shortly afterward.

The Enugu State Police Commissioner, Kanayo Uzuegbu, commended the bank for its cooperation in exposing the fraudulent activity.

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