Online 'businesswoman' arrested in Minna for allegedly defrauding over 100 people of N150m

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Online 'businesswoman' arrested in Minna for allegedly defrauding over 100 people of N150m

The Niger State Police Command has arrested an online businesswoman, Akinnowonu Damilola Victoria, for allegedly defrauding over one hundred people of N150m.

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, June 2, 2023, said the suspect deceived her victims that her goods were seized by the Customs after they made orders.

"A case of cheating, criminal breach of trust and internet-related offenses was referred to the Command from Magistrate Court Minna on 22/05/2023 involving one Akinnowonu Damilola Victoria aged 23yrs of Kolawole Street Tunga, Minna,” the statement read.

"Immediately the case was referred, Police operatives attached to SCID swung into action and the suspect was arrested with the help of the family and during interrogation, she claimed to have been operating an online business for about a year ago, via a link she discovered on Facebook, by showcasing items such as female clothes, bags, shoes, phones, laptops and other electronic gadgets.

"She said that through this act, she was able to gather many customers online who usually place orders for such items. She asserted further that due to her customers' complaints about price, she took some orders at a low rate and sometimes used the proceed to supply other customers.

"Consequently, piling up orders she could not meet up for other transactions. Preliminary investigation revealed that she deceived her victims that her goods were seized by the Customs. She also rented two warehouses located in Tunga/Kpakungu areas of Minna with over two million naira, which she used to deepen her fraud escapades.

"She confessed that by her rough estimates, she is owing over one hundred customers to the tune of about one hundred and fifty million naira. Presently about 72 victims have so far surfaced at SCID Minna giving the Police, the statements of their ordeal with the suspect.

“The case is under investigation, as the suspect is undergoing interrogation at SCID Minna, and she will be arraigned before the court for prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded.”