FCT NSCDC parades two brothers, members of Cyber crime syndicate

By Palma Ileye

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Command has apprehended two members of a cyber crime syndicate specialized in impersonating officers of NSCDC and other government officials.

According to a press release issued by CSC Samuel Idoko, CDPRO FCT, while parading the suspects at the Command Headquarters at Wuse, Zone 5, the Commandant of the FCT Command, Olusola Odumosu warned all cyber criminals who specialize in defrauding people to desist or be ready to face the long arm of the law.

Odumosu disclosed: “You recall the NSCDC FCT Command alerted the public in a press release of the existence of a fake Facebook account opened by an individual in the name of Commandant Olusola Odumosu, FCT Commandant.

“Today I am glad to inform you that the manhunt for this suspect which began 7 months ago followed by a well coordinated covert operation by men of the NSCDC FCT Command with the assistance of the Delta and Anambra state commands has smoked out the master minds behind the fraudulent Facebook account.”

The FCT boss revealed that the two suspects Henry Ushie Odep 34 years and Emmanuel Ushie Odep male 23 years are from Cross River State.

He explained further that the first to be arrested was Emmanuel Ushie Odep. After being lured to Abuja and apprehended by our personnel, made a very useful confessional statement which led to the arrest of Henry Ushie Odep his elder brother who was in possession of the phone used to operate the fake Facebook account bearing Olusola Odumosu.

Henry confessed to opening the fake Facebook account immediately the Commandant was appointed as the FCT Commandant in August 2023.

Emmanuel Ushie Odep admitted to being the one withdrawing monies sent to the opay account by his brother (Henry) through POS machine until the was arrested by the officers of the FCT Command in Abuja.

Commandant Olusola Odumosu stated further that on interrogation, Henry Ushie Odep said that he started online fraud in 2016 and he is the one who lured his younger brother Emmanuel Ushie Odep into the fraudulent act.

He confessed to duping a lot of unsuspecting Nigerians of different sums of money under different guises in the cyberspace.

He also disclosed that he is the same person behind the defrauding of so many people through a fake Facebook account opened in the name of late Helen Amakiri, eight years ago (2016), then an assistant Commandant General.

Investigation revealed that they operate Opay , monipoint and paimplay accounts to receive money from unsuspecting personal n but no bank account with traditional commercial banks.

It was also discovered that they use two accounts belonging to one Victory Chinaoromwhi according to them never knew they were into cyber fraud.

According to Henry, his friend Chibuike Okorie introduced him to cyber crime. The said Chibuike is currently in Kuwait as he has relocated from Nigeria.

The following people, Amadi Chisom (F) 31 years old and Mrs Okafor Evelyn (F) 24 years whose names came up in the course of the investigation and arrested alongside the principal suspect have been granted bail.

Items recoverd from the suspects include:Moniepoint POS Machine( 1), Opay pos machine (1), Techno spark 10 phone(1), Techno pop 8 phone (1) and Infinix phone (1).

According to Commandant Odumosu said the arrest should serve as a deterrent to others in this illicit business.

He said the NSCDC FCT Command in collaboration with other security Agencies will continue to launch it’s dragnet into fighting any form of criminality that will contravene the peace, security and any other government’s interest for the people.