By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A 43-year-old man, Ikechukwu Igwegbe, has been arrested for impersonating a dead person in Awka, Anambra State capital.

The suspect, an indigene of Onnej village in Orumba South Local Government Area of the state was said to have approached the probate Registry of the State High Court Awka and started processing for a letter of Admin in respect of a deceased person by name late Okafor Osuokwu Anthony.

He also presented himself as the deceased's first and only Son in order to obtain the document which would have given him access to the deceased property, Estates and Bank deposits.

Confirming the incident in a statement, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Haruna Mohammed said that suspect who voluntarily confessed to the crime was a tenant in the deceased’s house at Igboukwu and personated the deceased's first son who lives in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The statement partly reads: “On the 17/8/2020 at about 5pm Police operatives attached to B' Division Awka arrested one Ikechukwu Igwegbe Ilodinru ‘m’ aged 43 years of Onneh village in Orumba South LGA of Anambra State.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect equally swore to an oath under false pretense that he is the deceased’s biological son;

“The suspect also obtained a forged death certificate allegedly from the National Population Commission stating that the deceased whose actual death took place on 27th of July 2020, occurred on the 23rd of July 2020; He quickly rushed to Union Bank to withdraw the deceased’s deposit, but was advised to get a letter of administration;

“Meanwhile, exhibits recovered in his possession includes alleged forged dead certificate of the deceased, false sworn declaration as the deceased next of kin and sworn affidavit in the High Court Awka.”

He added that investigation is ongoing after which the suspect would be charged to court for prosecution.