The Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, has arrested an alleged fake female customs officer who has been swindling unsuspecting members of the public millions of money under the false pretext of selling auction vehicles to them .
Following her arrest, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge in charge Zone 2, Mr. Ali Mohammed Ari,has advised the members of the public to be wary of people they transact business with on the internet as fraudsters are on the prowl.
Giving insight on how the suspect was arrested,
Zonal Police Public Relations Officer(ZPPRO),
Zone 2 Command headquarters,SP Hauwa Idris Adamu,said,”on the 12th of April 2023, a petition
was written by Mr. Josiah Kashim Utenwojo ,and Mr. Dominic Okoh Henry,to the AIG, against a woman, Rakiya Musa,who claimed to be an officer of the Nigeria Customs Service(NIS) in charge of Public Auction Unit at Tin Can Port, Apapa, Lagos. Rakiya lived in the Nigeria Air Force Mess Apapa for three months, thereby making her victims believe she was a Customs officer.
“Upon receipt of the petition, the AIG immediately detailed some crack Detectives attached to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department to investigate and the operatives immediately swung into action.
“After a detailed investigation, it was revealed that the victims were introduced to Rakiya by one Akinwande Kayode, a retired Naval officer, that she should help them procure auction vehicles from the Nigerian Customs Service.
“Based on the foregoing, the sum of N3,200,000 was transferred to Rakiya’s UBA personal account. Immediately the fund was received, she became incommunicado, and it was then dawn upon them that they had been swindled, all efforts made to reach her proved abortive.
“However, after a painstaking investigation, she was arrested in Abuja, where Customs ID card and Customs Clearing Agent ID were recovered from her and she was brought to Lagos for proper investigation.
“During investigation, she confessed to have been impersonating as a Customs Officer in order to defraud unsuspecting members of the public and that she has been in the business for over 15years.
“She also claimed to have given N1,000,000 to her boyfriend ,Akinwande Kayode from the N3,200,000 fraudulently obtained from the victims.
“In light of the foregoing, the general public is advised to be wary of the antics of this fraudster who has been swindling unsuspecting members of the public of their money.Consequently, investigation is still in progress and the suspect will soon be charged to Court on completion of investigation”.
