The Bauchi State Police Command has apprehended a 34-year-old man, Glory Samuel, for allegedly defrauding a prominent businessman of N120 million.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged on April 1, 2024, regarding suspicious withdrawals totaling N2,068,000 from the complainant’s company bank account. This was detailed in a release by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, on Wednesday.
Wakil stated, “Acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa Mohammed, the State Intelligence Department launched an immediate investigation.”
Their thorough investigation revealed that Samuel had unlawfully withdrawn a substantial amount of N120 million from the complainant’s account. During questioning, Samuel confessed to betraying the trust of a neighbor with whom he had shared a market space for over 15 years.
He explained that a friend he met at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi in 2011, prior to dropping out of computer science, persuaded him that he could earn money by accessing the wealthy individual’s phone. Exploiting this trust, Samuel borrowed the phone, enabling his accomplice to install financial applications like Opay and MoneyPoint.
This access allowed them to transfer funds to various bank accounts multiple times.
The investigation also led to the recovery of numerous items from the suspect, including eight tricycles, N35 million in cash, two incomplete buildings, 60 bags of cooking charcoal, 30 bags of fertilizer, two motorcycles, and two industrial sewing machines.
Samuel, whose lifestyle had notably improved, assured his uncle and girlfriend that his newfound wealth came from an online business when they questioned him about his income.
The suspect is expected to face legal charges in court.