Police arrest fake philanthropist in Enugu

The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested a fake philanthropist who attempted to defraud a trader in Enugu.

The suspect, Joseph Nnamani, was arrested by police operatives from Ogui Police Division on February 20.

Nnamani, 45, had fraudulently collected 18 bags of rice valued at about N400,000 from a businessman under the guise of giving out the rice as charity to a church.

“On Valentine’s Day, Nnamani went to the premises of a church in Ogui, Enugu, from where he called the businessman on the phone, requesting 18 pieces of 25kg bags of rice on the pretense of wanting to use the same for charity to the church.

“The businessman accordingly supplied the rice and unsuspectingly followed Nnamani to the bank to receive his payment through bank transfer.

“But in the course of effecting the payment, Nnamani secretly left the bank, went back to the church, and made away with the bags of rice to an unknown destination.

“The suspect, however, could not run or hide for so long, as police operatives, upon receiving the report, embarked on an intelligence-driven investigation, which led to his arrest on Feb. 20, 2024, at Enene, Enugu,” the Command’s Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Sunday.

The police said upon his arrest, eight out of the 18 bags of rice were recovered from the suspect while he had sold the rest at Oye Emene Market, Enugu.

“The citizenry, particularly businessmen and women, are hereby advised to always be security conscious and wary of whom and how they transact businesses in such circumstances, to avoid falling prey to fraudulent suspects like Nnamani.

“Additionally, while the investigation lasts, persons who may have suffered similar act of fraud by the suspect, are encouraged to report to the mentioned police division to volunteer relevant information,” he added.