A 42-YEAR-OLD native doctor based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has been nabbed by police operatives for an alleged fraud of N1.15b and illegal possession of fake $1.29m (US dollars).
The suspect, identified as Nnedim Ikechukwu, an indigene of Imo State, was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit of Zone 16 with headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Police sources said while the suspect (Ikechukwu) was being investigated over the allegation of N1.15b fraud levelled against him by one of his victims in Borokiri area of Port Harcourt, the search of the suspect’s home in Omagwa community in Rivers showed that fake dollars $1.29m were hidden in two medium-sized boxes in his room.
The sources said that the suspect, who claimed to be a native doctor and traditionalist, was allegedly contacted by two businessmen to provide them with spiritual charms that would make an expatriate give them a multi-million naira oil contract.
A source within the zonal headquarters, who didn’t want to be mentioned, claimed the native doctor charged his victims N800, 000 each for the job.
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The source said: “And they (victims) paid him N1.6m. The suspect purportedly prepared the charm sometime in July 2022. They claimed the charm worked and an expatriate in Nigeria secured them an oil supply job worth $152 million, equivalent to N1.150bn.
“After they were paid for the job, the victims brought the $152m to the suspect’s shrine at Omagwa for spiritual cleansing as directed by the suspect (Ikechukwu). But to their surprise, the suspect escaped with the whole money to Owerri, Imo State, and refused to take their phone calls.
“They traced him and caught him. But instead of giving them their money, he brought out fake dollar notes to replace the genuine dollars they gave him.”
It was also gathered that a team of detectives led by ASP Ubi Iwara, armed with a search warrant, moved to the home of the suspect and the sum of $1,290,000 (US dollars) suspected to be fake was recovered in two medium-sized boxes hidden in one of the rooms.
The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 16 headquarters, CSP Ikwo Kelvin Lafieghe, confirmed the arrest of one native doctor.
She said: “The Zone 16 Police Headquarters has paraded a suspect allegedly involved in Advanced Fee Fraud, popularly known as 419, and unlawful possession of fake dollars.
“The suspect, a 42-year-old male, who hails from Imo State, was arrested following a tip-off from a victim he attempted to defraud.”