A 21-year-old polytechnic student, Obinna Collins, has been arrested by the police in Lagos State for allegedly defrauding members of the public with the name of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni.
Owoseni made the disclosure on Monday, November 30, 2015 while parading Collins and other suspects before newsmen.
According to Owoseni, the suspects allegedly opened a Facebook account in his name with his photograph to solicit funds into a bank account to run a non-existent charity called “CP Owoseni Foundation’’.
According to the police, Collins was trailed and arrested after defrauding one of his victims who he allegedly asked to send N20,000 to his account.
The woman identified as Ronke, reported the matter at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters, after she realised that she had been duped and Collins was arrested at a filling station in the Ikeja area.
Owoseni said: “The command wishes to inform members of the public that fraudsters have continued to device different methods of duping unsuspecting residents.
“The latest trick being used by these dupes is to open a Facebook page using the photographs and information of highly placed individuals.
“The commissioner of police, Lagos State and former governor of Lagos State, Sen. Bola Tinubu, were impersonated by these cheats.
“The suspects have been arrested and are to be prosecuted.’’
The commissioner said that he had never operated a Facebook page before and urged the public to beware of fraudsters using the names of highly placed persons.
Owoseni said the suspects were soliciting for N20,000 donation to the fake Owoseni Foundation before they were arrested.
In a confessional statement, Collins, an Electrical Engineering Student said: “I opened a Facebook account for the Lagos CP in September. I chose the CP of Lagos because I knew it was a popular office. I opened the account as a means to sustain my studies. I opened it to help myself in school. I only defrauded a woman. She sent N20,000 to my bank account.
“The lady’s name is Ronke. She said she wanted to date the Commissioner of Police, and she wanted to also meet me. She added that she had feelings for me. I told her that I run a charity and had a group of boys that I sponsored their education. So, I asked her to send in a support and she sent the money.
“I was arrested by the police at a filling station in Ikeja. I did not know the lady had reported me after paying the money. I came to the area to meet her and I was arrested.
“Now, I feel guilty that I went into this.”
