​EFCC Nabs TikToker Over Fake News of Operatives’ Kidnap,Ransom Demands

​By Olatunji Adesina

​ABUJA – Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended a TikTok user, Udoma David Ekeh, for allegedly orchestrating a disinformation campaign against the anti-graft agency and its personnel.

​Ekeh’s arrest follows a trail of fabricated claims he reportedly circulated in December 2025. According to the Commission, the suspect utilized his TikTok platform to raise a false alarm, alleging that officers from the Ilorin Zonal Directorate were ambushed and abducted by bandits while on an official assignment in Kwara State.

​The suspect went further to claim that the kidnappers had contacted the Commission to demand a “huge ransom” for the release of the purported captives.

​Incitement and Misinformation

​The EFCC, in a statement released on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, categorically denied the claims, describing them as a calculated attempt to incite public panic and undermine the agency’s efforts in the war against cybercrime.

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​”All his claims are entirely fabricated,” a spokesperson for the Commission stated. “The suspect used his social media presence to misinform the public about the Commission’s relentless efforts in tackling the menace of internet fraud.”

​The false reports gained significant traction during a period of heightened security concerns in late 2025, leading to widespread anxiety before fact-checking organizations and the Commission itself debunked the rumors.

​Romance Scam Discovery

​Beyond the charges of spreading false information, preliminary investigations have unmasked Ekeh’s alleged involvement in digital fraud. Detectives revealed that the suspect reportedly maintained a dual identity online.

​Investigators found that Ekeh utilized a Facebook account under the pseudonym “Garg Carta”—impersonating a foreign national—to engage in romance scams.

Legal Action Imminent​*

The Commission emphasized that the arrest serves as a stern warning to social media users who use their platforms to spread unverified or malicious content targeting state institutions.​Ekeh remains in custody and is expected to be charged to court as soon as the legal department concludes its filing. The EFCC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency while maintaining that it will not tolerate cyber-smear campaigns designed to distract from its core mandate of sanitizing Nigeria’s economic landscape.