By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested a fake philanthropist and recovered fraudulently obtained bags of rice within Enugu metropolis.

The Command's Spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Sunday in Enugu that the swift response of police operatives serving in the Ogui Police Division led to arrest of one Joseph Nnamani, 45.

Ndukwe noted that if not for police intervention, Nnamani would have successfully defrauded a businessman of 18 bags of rice valued at about N400,000 under the guise of buying and using the rice for charity at a church on Feb. 14, 2024, Valentine's Day.

"On Valentine's Day, Nnamani went to the premises of a church (name withheld) in Ogui, Enugu, from where he called the businessman (names withheld) on the phone, requesting 18 pieces of 25kg bags of rice with the pretense of wanting to use the same for charity to the church.

"The businessman accordingly supplied the rice and unsuspectingly followed Nnamani to the bank to receive his payment through bank transfer.

"But in the course of effecting the payment, Nnamani secretly left the bank, went back to the church, and made away with the bags of rice to an unknown destination.

"The suspect, however, could not run or hide for so long, as police operatives, upon receiving the report, embarked on an intelligence-driven investigation, which led to his arrest on Feb. 20, 2024, at Enene, Enugu," he said.

The police spokesman noted that upon his arrest, eight out of the 18 25kg bags of rice were recovered from him, after he had re-bagged and sold the other bags at Oye Emene Market, Enugu.

Ndukwe said the suspect and his cohorts would definitely have a date with the court of law once investigations are concluded on the matter.

"The citizenry, particularly businessmen and women, are hereby advised to always be security conscious and wary of whom and how they transact businesses in such circumstances, to avoid falling prey to fraudulent suspects like Nnamani.

"Additionally, while the investigation lasts, person(s) who may have suffered a similar act of fraud by the suspect, are encouraged to report to the mentioned police division to volunteer relevant information," he added.

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