Delta Police Arrest Three Fraudsters Who Impersonated Akume, Governor's Aides to Dupe Community Leader of N5.4m

The Delta State Police Command has arrested three suspected fraudsters for impersonating top government officials and defrauding a community leader of N5,475,000.

The command's spokesperson, CSP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. He said preliminary investigations linked the suspects to a fraud syndicate that allegedly targeted unsuspecting members of the public with promises of employment, political appointments and other government privileges.

The suspects were identified as Aghogho Okpogbodu (51), Moses Exist (48) and Benjamin Owah (49). They were arrested by detectives attached to the Area Command, Effurun.

According to the police, the suspects used SIM cards purportedly registered in the names of prominent public officials to deceive their victims. The officials impersonated include Senator George Akune, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Chief Hon. Onoriode Sunday, Director of Protocol to the Governor of Delta State; and Hon. Prince Johnson Erijo, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Delta State.

The suspects also allegedly used a caller-identification application that displays names linked to phone numbers, creating the false impression that their calls came from the officials being impersonated.

In one of their alleged operations, they posed as the Director of Protocol to the Governor and defrauded a community leader from Otu-Jeremi of N5,475,000, claiming they would facilitate his appointment as President-General of the community.

A search of the suspects' premises led to the recovery of seven mobile phones, 17 SIM cards, 12 ATM cards bearing different account holders' names, one Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal, and documents containing financial and identification information belonging to different individuals. Police said investigation is ongoing to identify other possible victims and accomplices.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel E. Erale, cautioned members of the public against relying on caller-identification applications as proof of a caller's identity, especially where financial demands or promises of government appointments are involved. He urged anyone who may have fallen victim to the suspects or similar schemes to come forward with credible information to assist the investigation, and reaffirmed the command's commitment to fighting fraud and bringing offenders to justice.