Police arrest fake “CP” after defrauding man of N250m

The Criminal Investigation Department of the Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday disclosed the arrest of a 55-year-old man, Oluwole Akande, who impersonated the Commissioner of Police, Railway Command, CP Yetunde Longe, and defrauded an 80-year-old man of N250 million.

The Police Commissioner, Railway Command, CP Yetunde Longe, disclosed that she got a call from CP Frank MBA, a former Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, informing her of the impersonator and the fraud.

CP Longe narrated that the wife of the victim called Mba to intimate him of plan by one CP Longe to demand for millions of Naira from her husband,  so as to drop a petition on her table against him.

“CP Frank Mba replied the wife of the victim that he knows CP Yetunde Longe cannot make such mischievous demand, he promised to call her and verify and get back to the woman.

“CP Frank Mba called me to relate the matter and I confirmed that the information was totally wrong. I said there was no petition of such before me and I don’t even know the victim.

“It was at this time the State CID Panti was informed to trace the suspect and he was apprehended. He confessed to have impersonated me,” CP Longe stated.

The commissioner said impersonator will be charged to court soon.

Oluwole Akande, who claimed to live at Ojokoro area of Lagos, said he started the business of impersonation in 2022, stressing that CP Longe was the only person he had used.

Akande said after he discovered his victim, he decided to frame him up on issue he knew nothing about by calling to inform him of a petition concerning an illegal business the victim was involved in.

He claimed that the victim would not take him serious except he impersonated a high-ranking police officer, which led to using CP Yetunde Longe’s name.

The suspect said he never knew CP Longe before, stressing that he got her name and rank through the media after she was decorated in Abuja with her husband same day as Commissioner of Police.

Akande said he called the victim and assured him that if he was willing to pay N1.5 million, he would  drop the case, which the victim promised to pay.

He said he was the only person involved in the crime, stressing that he knew the impersonation would dent the image of CP Yetunde Longe, but that he never knew it would  backfire.

“I just wanted to obtain the victim. I thought if I give the man stories, he will fall for them and just pay me and I will escape.

“I sent several messages to him. I used two sim cards to carry out the crime,” he said.

After receiving the N1.5 million, the impersonator, through other means,  collected more money from the victim amounting to N250 million.

The victim sold two of his houses and filling station to meet the demands of the suspect until his wife contacted CP Frank Mba, which led to his arrest.