A 23-year-old online vendor named Akinnowonu Damilola Victoria has been apprehended by the Niger State Police Command for defrauding more than one hundred customers in Minna, the capital city, of approximately one hundred and fifty million naira. The arrest was announced in a statement issued by DSP W. A Abiodun, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Command, on Friday.
According to the statement, Victoria employed deceptive tactics to convince her customers that her merchandise had been confiscated by Customs. Additionally, she rented two warehouses for over two million naira, which she utilized to perpetuate her fraudulent activities.
The statement stated, “A case involving one Akinnowonu Damilola Victoria, a 23-year-old resident of Kolawole Street, Tunga, Minna, was referred to the Command from Magistrate Court Minna on 22/05/2023. The case involves charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and internet-related offenses.”
“Upon receiving the referral, the police operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department promptly took action, and with the assistance of the suspect’s family, she was apprehended. During the interrogation, she admitted to running an online business for approximately a year. She claimed to have discovered a link on Facebook through which she showcased various items such as women’s clothing, bags, shoes, phones, laptops, and other electronic devices.”
“She further revealed that this method allowed her to attract numerous customers online who would place orders for these items. Due to complaints from some customers about the prices, she accepted certain orders at lower rates and utilized the proceeds to fulfill other customers’ demands. Consequently, she accumulated a backlog of orders that she was unable to fulfill, leading to further fraudulent activities.”
“Preliminary investigations revealed that she deceived her victims by falsely claiming that Customs had seized her goods. Furthermore, she rented two warehouses in the Tunga/Kpakungu areas of Minna, spending over two million naira, to facilitate her fraudulent schemes.”
“She confessed that she estimated owing over one hundred customers approximately one hundred and fifty million naira. Currently, around 72 victims have come forward at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Minna to provide statements to the police regarding their ordeals with the suspect.”
Source: website/osunreportersng.
