Police Operatives of the Enugu State Command, serving in New Haven Police Division, on December 3, 2023, at about 12:30 p.m., acting on credible information, arrested 26-year-old Somtochukwu Franklin, for allegedly faking and using the Facebook account name and details of Emmanuel Okoh popularly known as Okwuluora, to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
A preliminary Police investigation has revealed that the suspect confessed to the act of crime, stating that he created the fake “Okwuluora” Facebook account in January 2023 and has since been using it to solicit funds from his over 30,000 followers.
The suspect further stated that he usually waits for the actual “Okwuluora” to make a post, soliciting support for persons in situations requiring financial assistance. Upon sighting such posts, he immediately copies and posts them on the fake Facebook account and changes the beneficiary’s account details to his, thereby fraudulently obtaining funds from unsuspecting donors.
He added that he has, by so doing, received funds running into tens of thousands of Naira from donors.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCID) to conduct a further thorough investigation and timely prosecution of the suspect.
The CP, therefore, encourages victims of the fraudulent act to report to the State CID and volunteer their statements, while also calling on the citizenry to be wary of social media impostors and their fraudulent activities, especially this yuletide.
