The Nigeria Police Force has arrestd a 28-year-old Dauda Samuel, for allegedly impersonating a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Frank Mba on Facebook.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who made the announcement in a statement at the weekend, said that the suspect allegedly impersonated the highly respected DIG Frank Mba on Facebook, using it to recruit fake police officers online.
The image maker said that the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) apprehended the suspect following credible intelligence and multiple complaints from members of the public, who fell victims to the scam.
Mr. Adejobi said that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect exploited the identity of DIG Frank Mba to lure individuals with promises of job placements within the Police Force, extorting money from them in the process.
He said that the suspect was arrested in Panda Village, Nasarawa State, in a decisive move against digital impersonation and recruitment scams.
According to him, the suspect has allegedly been running a fake Facebook account using the name and image of DIG Mba, under whose guise he promoted a fraudulent Police recruitment scheme.
The suspect has confessed to the crime and was assisting investigators with valuable information.
The spokesperson said that Cyber forensic analysts were now tracing his digital activities and possible accomplices.
According to Mr Adejobi, the incident underscores the rising threat of social media impersonation and recruitment fraud. “The Police have reiterated their warning to the public to verify recruitment processes through official channels and report suspicious activities to the authorities.
“The Force has also urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against digital fraudsters. The recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force is never influenced by individual officers or facilitated via social media platforms,” he said.
Adejobi stated that the suspect will be charged for the alleged offence under the criminal law of the State after conclusion of investigations.