Juliana Francis
A suspected fraudster, identified as Olaogun Babatunde, otherwise called, ‘evil genius’ by friends, who have been on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Wanted List for fraud, has allegedly defrauded another two victims of N9.6million.
The suspect was hunted from Abuja, down to Kogi State, and then arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team IRT (IRT), after he used a bank alert to defraud one Chidinma Vivian Okwenna.
Police have described him as a serial fake bank alert fraudster, adding that the suspect defrauded one of his victims of the sum of N5 million and another of the sum of N4.6 million.
Babatunde, believed to be in his early forties, graduated from the University of Lagos in 2008.
Singing like a bird after his arrest, Babatunde reportedly told police during interrogation: “I have used fake alerts to purchase goods worth billions of naira. I have defrauded many traders in Lagos State and other cities.”
The police said: “He’s popularly called by friends an ‘evil genius’ because of his expertise in generating fake bank credit alerts, which he uses to defraud traders and other unsuspecting Nigerians. He has many fake sites on the internet and social media platforms, and he usually targets women.”
According to police investigators, the suspect had previously been arrested by the IRT Commander, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Mr. Tunji Disu. This arrest occurred in 2018 when Disu oversaw the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Unit in Lagos State.
Back then Babatunde was alleged to have generated and used a fake bank alert to buy laptop computers worth N4.6 million from a dealer called Kevin Otenuga.
The police stated: “The fact of the latest arrest of the fraudster in Abuja is that he met Chidinma Vivian Okwenna through a social network platform where they interacted and exchanged contacts. On 9th December 2021, he approached Chindima at Wuse Zone 2, First Bank, asking for N5 million new notes, claiming that his boss needed them. Chindima rallied around and was able to raise the sum of N3.5 million and handed it over to him. He subsequently generated a fake bank credit alert of its equivalent through Zenith Bank accounts and immediately made an excuse, and then rushed out of the bank, claiming to have a meeting with someone. As soon as he stepped out of the bank, he blocked the complainant’s phone number, so that she wouldn’t be able to reach him. Meanwhile, after his Zenith Bank account’s statement was obtained, it was discovered he had just N24, 000 on that day of the transaction.”
Several efforts made by Chidinma to reach him were abortive. She then reported the matter to IRT and Babatunde was tracked and arrested in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Investigators revealed that the suspect had been on EFCC’s Wanted List for a while.
