By Solomon Odeniyi
An Abuja-based disc jockey, Raymond Terver, widely known as DJ Ice, has been arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) for allegedly using fake payment alerts to purchase expensive drinks and other goods. The suspect was apprehended in August 2024 after he purchased items from a hotel in Abuja, including premium beverages such as Hennessy XO, using fake receipts generated on his computer.
Force Spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the arrest, revealing that DJ Ice had been operating the fraud scheme since June 2024, raking in over ₦8 million. The funds were reportedly used to purchase DJ equipment, which he had yet to use before his arrest.
According to Adejobi, DJ Ice would fabricate fake payment receipts using the Paint app on his computer and send them via WhatsApp to restaurants like the ‘For You’ Hotel and Restaurant in Jabi, Abuja. Once the goods were ready, he would arrange for a dispatch rider to collect the items and send them through intermediaries to conceal his identity.
After noticing discrepancies in their inventory, the hotel reported the issue to the IRT, which led to Terver’s capture. During questioning, DJ Ice confessed to the fraud and explained that he had resorted to crime due to financial hardship and a desire to acquire equipment for his DJ business, which he had been pursuing for 15 years.
“I was eager to make money and acquire DJ equipment,” DJ Ice said. “I bought equipment for about ₦5 million but was arrested before I could use it.”
In a separate case, another suspect, Kayode Johnson, also known as Baddoo, was paraded for allegedly killing a police officer in Ogun State and leading a group of armed robbers operating in the Ikorodu/Ijebu-Ode area. Johnson confessed to the murder and the theft of the officer’s AK-47 rifle, which was later recovered by the Lagos State Police.
Force Spokesperson Adejobi also provided an update on the Nigeria Police Force’s recent achievements, revealing that over the past month, 295 armed robbery suspects, 186 kidnappers, and 1,575 individuals for various other crimes have been arrested. Additionally, 185 firearms and over 4,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered, and 129 kidnapped victims were rescued.