Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested three brothers: Emmanuel Ushie, 23; Henry Ushie, 30; and Matthew Ushie, 28; for operating a fake Foundation in the name of the Force Public Relations Officers, DCP Frank Mba.
The spokesperson made this known, Monday in Abuja, while parading the suspects and 21 others arrested for cybercrime and other related offences.
Mba said the suspects were arrested for their involvement and indictment in cases of romance and online dating scams, generating and deployment of fake bank alerts, hacking and fraudulent wire transfers, cyber stalking and impersonation of high-profile personalities within and outside Nigeria.
He said the brothers, who were operating a fake Frank Mba Foundation; set up a bank account with FCMB used a fake Facebook account and defrauded innocent Nigerians under the pretext that the Foundation was raising money to help vulnerable Nigerians during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
According to him, Police investigations revealed that the brothers have been engaging extensively in such frauds and other related cybercrimes.
“During manhunt of the fraudsters, Henry Ushie, a graduate of Statistics from Anambra State University, an elder sibling to Emmanuel Ushie, was identified as the gang leader of the syndicate behind the scam. He went underground as his younger siblings also involved in the crime were arrested.
“Following weeks of investigations the kingpin, Henry Ushie, was arrested on June, 2020, at about 12:55hrs at a hideout in Ihiala, Anambra state. His arrest eventually led to the arrest of his younger brother Matthew who is also an active member of the syndicate.”
Mba said further investigation revealed that Matthew had been arrested in Ghana last year in a well-publicised bust of fraudsters where he and other international fraudsters used the name of the Inspector General of Police of Ghana, John Kudalor to defraud unsuspecting Ghanaian policemen in the guise of providing opportunity for them to attend United Nations peacekeeping mission using a fake Facebook account. Information about his arrest and parading before the press in Ghana is available on the internet.
“Similarly, Henry Ushie had also been arrested in 2017 by the IRT for impersonating then ACP Abba Kyari, the Commander IRT on Facebook and defrauding many innocent Nigerians before he was arrested and subsequently charged to Court for impersonation. He eventually got bail from the court and went back to same crime.”
