Enugu banker, two others arrested over N4m fraud

The Enugu State Police Command has apprehended three individuals, including a banker, for allegedly conspiring to withdraw N4 million from a customer’s account through identity theft.

The suspects, identified as Ndulaka Okwudili, Ifeanyi Nnamani, a former bank staff, and Philip Ozogwu, a National Identification Number enrolment agent, were arrested on October 18, 2024.

According to a statement signed by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on Friday, the suspects used the identity of an Australia-based Nigerian, Mba Ndukwe, to commit the fraud.

Ndukwe added that two of the suspects were arraigned in court on Thursday before an Enugu North Magistrate Court and were remanded in the Enugu Maximum Custodial Nigerian Correctional Centre, while the NIN agent’s case is still under investigation.

The statement partly read, “According to his confession, in October 2023, at Nowas Junction in Trans-Ekulu, Enugu, he found a bag containing various personal items, including SIM cards from different telecommunications networks.

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“In January 2024, he inserted an Airtel SIM card found in the bag into his phone and received a large credit alert, leading him and others at large to begin withdrawing funds from the victim’s account using the USSD banking code.

“By September 2024, when Okwudili faced difficulties accessing the account, he visited the said bank branch. There, he colluded with Ifeanyi Nnamani, an employee of the bank with 17 years of service, who informed him that the account was on Post No Debit status.

“Nnamani advised Okwudili to obtain a court affidavit and modify his NIN details to match those of the account’s legitimate owner, Mba Ndukwe, to gain access to the account.”

Ndukwe further disclosed that the duo enlisted the services of the NIN enrolment agent, who unlawfully changed his name, date of birth, and other personal details on his NIN to match those of the victim without questioning his intentions.

The statement added, “He later withdrew an additional N1,500,000, which triggered an alert from the bank’s Ohafia, Abia State, branch, where the account was originally opened.

“This led to the detection of the fraud and the consequent reporting of the case to the police by the Enugu branch management of the bank. On October 18, 2024, when Okwudili attempted another transaction at the bank, he was arrested, along with Nnamani, by police officers from the Command’s CPS Enugu, while Ozogwu was later arrested.”

Meanwhile, Ndukwe said that the Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has commended the bank for its cooperation in exposing the fraudulent activity.