Fraudster impersonates Ooni on Facebook to defraud two U.S.-based ladies of N.6m

A suspected Internet fraudster, Abiodun Joseph, who impersonated the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on his Facebook account and defrauded two Nigerian ladies based in the United States of America (USA) of various sums of money, has been arrested by the Ogun State police command.

The suspect was arrested last Wednesday, (April 19) at Ilese in Ijebu North East Local Council of the state.

Joseph, 26, was paraded alongside three other suspected armed robbers and kidnappers at the state’s command headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta yesterday.

According to the police, the suspect had allegedly obtained the sum of N600,000 illegally through money transfer.

While parading the suspects, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, said Joseph had been using his Facebook and Whatsapp accounts to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

“On interrogation, he owned up to the crime and confessed that he has duped some people to the tune of N600,000,” he said.

Joseph, who admitted to committing the crime, said he opened the Facebook account October last year, purposely to defraud people.

He said he uploaded Ooni’s pictures from the Internet and used them on his Facebook account and in no time, people mostly ladies began to send him requests, thinking he is the monarch.

Joseph revealed that many ladies sent requests to him that they wanted to be his ‘Oloris’ (wives) thinking he was genuine and this was how he was able to defraud some of them.

“In our chats, I told them that they had to pay some money if they were really interested in being my Olori. Two of them based in the United States of America sent N600,000 to me through money transfer. One sent N350,000 and the second one sent N250,000.”

Joseph, however, said one of ladies among the numerous ladies who wanted to be ‘Olori’ had demanded that he buy her a house worth N45 million, but he told her that she had to pay N5 million out of the amount and he would make up the balance for her.

He was still waiting for that N5 million last Wednesday when the police swooped on his residence and arrested him. Joseph said he regretted his action and sought the forgiveness of Oba Ogunwusi.