In Nigeria’s fraud economy, a borrowed name is often worth more than a stolen password. The case before a Federal High Court in Abuja shows how far that borrowing can go.
ValidViewNetwork reports that Justice Salim Ibrahim on Friday ordered Arinze Nwogba remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The charge: allegedly impersonating the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Segun Aina, to defraud members of the public.
THE CHARGES AND THE PLEA
The Inspector-General of Police filed six counts under charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/612/2026. Nwogba pleaded not guilty to all six. His lawyer, Christian Ejike, applied for bail on liberal terms, and the prosecution urged the court to refuse it.Justice Ibrahim ordered that the defendant remain in custody pending a ruling on the bail application.
He fixed October 7 for that ruling and October 19 for the start of trial.
HOW THE ALLEGED SCHEME WORKED
The investigation began after the JAMB Registrar petitioned the Inspector-General of Police. His complaint: people were using his name, photographs and a telephone number without authorisation.
Prosecutors allege that the fraudsters used his image as profile pictures on WhatsApp, Truecaller and LinkedIn. They allegedly told victims that the Registrar wanted to award them a contract and had secured the Education Minister’s approval.
One message attributed to the impersonators claimed the Ministry had approved the supply of 200 HP laptops for a digitisation programme. Victims were then allegedly referred to a supposed personal assistant, “Dr Stephen Igwe”, to arrange the deal.
ValidViewNetwork gathered that victims were reportedly asked to pay N900,000 and N3 million into accounts linked to the scheme.
THE ARREST
Nwogba was arrested in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. The prosecution says other suspects are still at large, including a man it names as the person behind the fake Registrar identity, who is reportedly on the run.
Reports differ on what Nwogba told investigators, and the court has not tested any of it.
A WARNING WORTH HEEDING
Consider the ordinary victim. A contractor in Abakaliki or Kano sees a senior official’s photograph, a Ministry approval and a laptop order that sounds routine. Official titles are the new bait.
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Nigerians should verify any contract offer or payment request through the institution’s official channels. A public figure’s face on WhatsApp proves nothing. Nwogba is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The court will hear his case on October 19.