Esther Salifu
A case of identity theft and fraud has been uncovered in Enugu State, as three suspects, including a banker, have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to defraud a customer of N4 million.
The suspects, identified as Ndulaka Okwudili, Ifeanyi Nnamani, a former bank employee, and Philip Ozogwu, a National Identification Number enrolment agent, were apprehended on October 18, 2024.
According to DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the command’s spokesperson, “The suspects used the identity of an Australia-based Nigerian, Mba Ndukwe, to perpetrate the fraud.” One of the suspects, Ndulaka Okwudili, admitted to finding a bag containing various personal items, including SIM cards, which he used to access the victim’s account.
The statement reads
“In January 2024, Okwudili inserted an Airtel SIM card from the bag into his phone and received a substantial credit alert. This prompted him and others still at large to begin withdrawing funds from the victim’s account using USSD banking codes,” the statement said.
by September 2024, when Okwudili encountered challenges accessing the account, he visited a branch of the victim’s bank.
There, he allegedly conspired with Nnamani, who had worked at the bank for 17 years. Nnamani informed him that the account had been placed on a “Post No Debit” status and advised him to obtain a court affidavit and alter his NIN details to match those of the account holder.
Okwudili reportedly enlisted the services of Ozogwu, who unlawfully modified his NIN details—including his name and date of birth—to align with those of the victim.
He reportedly paid Ozogwu N40,000 for the service.
The statement added, “Using the fraudulent NIN, Nnamani reactivated the account and bypassed verification checks, including the Bank Verification Number (BVN). Okwudili subsequently withdrew N100,000, giving Nnamani N50,000 as a ‘reward’ for his role.
“Further withdrawals totaling N1.5 million triggered an alert at the bank’s Ohafia, Abia State, branch, where the account was originally opened. This led to the discovery of the fraud and a report to the police by the bank’s Enugu branch.”
