Photo: Man who claims to be the Interior Minister arrested over $10,000 fraud

Operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested 40 year old Prince Momoh Enema pictured above, a member of a fraud syndicate that specialize in defrauding prominent citizens using the name of the Minister of Interior, Abdulraman Dambazau.



The native of Olamaboro Local Council of Kogi State was arrested in Abuja after himself and members of his syndicate posed as Minister of Interior and his Chief of Staff, in an attempt to defraud the Seriki of Gwandabawa area of Sokoto State through a fake contract deal amounting to $10,000.

It was gathered that the leader of the syndicate, who is currently on the run and was identified as Dr. Usman, had on April 2017, contacted the Seriki, and identified himself as General Abdulraman Dambazau, the current Minister of Interior.

Usman informed the Seriki that President Buhari has decided to reward the Seriki and his people at Gwadanbwa Sokoto State for their support during the 2015 presidential elections and has decided to employ 20 native of Gwadanbawa into the Nigeria Police Force and the Customs Service.

Usman instructed the Seriki to send the names and Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of the 20 persons through the office of the fake Chief of Staff to the Minister of Interior and the sum of N45,000 on each applicant, an amount he said would be used in procuring training kits for the applicants.

The Seriki was said to have sent the 20 names, CVs and the sum of N1 million through the said Chief of Staff and a date was given to him when the applicants would commence training. Having gained a relationship with the Seriki, Usman called monarch again to informed him that the Ministry of Interior was about issuing contracts for the supply of equipment to the Nigeria Police Force, Customs Service and other para-military organizations under the ministry, worth N3 billion. He then asked the Seriki to send his company’s profile and the sum of $10,000 to the Personnel Assistant to the Minister.

The Seriki at this time became curious and then contacted the House of Representative member representing his constituency, Abdulahi Balarabe Salame, to help verify if indeed the Minister was the one offering him a contract and making such demands. After confirming that the Seriki has been dealing with fraudsters, Abdulahi urged him to play along with the suspects.

They agreed to lure the fake minister to a location in Abuja where he would be arrested. After informing the police, they put a call to the fake Minister who informed them that his PA would meet with the monarch to collect the $10,000. The PA was arrested immediately after he arrived where he was supposed to collect the money. He would soon be charged to court for fraud.