Police Arrest 2 Online Scammers for Duping Canada-based Nigerian
Operatives from the C4i Intelligence Unit of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested two suspected online scammers, Michael Onyedikachi and Akachukwu Benedict, for defrauding a Canada-based Nigerian, Sandra Austin, of N150 million.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Rivers State, Grace Iringe-Koko, the suspects were arrested in Enugu, Enugu State. Onyedikachi and Benedict, both 29, were involved in a scam that started when Onyedikachi sent a Facebook friend request to Sandra in February 2022, posing as Engineer Desmond Chibuike Okechukwu. Sandra reluctantly accepted the request, and the scammer convinced her to send money for the purchase and construction of a house in Lagos.
The scam escalated when the suspect moved their conversation to WhatsApp and shared images of luxurious homes he claimed to have built in upscale areas like Ajah, Lagos. Sandra, trusting the scammer, expressed interest in one property that he claimed would cost N150 million to buy and develop. Over time, Sandra transferred a total of N110 million to the suspect, with the final N30 million sent in February 2024. After this last payment, Sandra was suddenly blocked from all communication channels.
The shock of the scam caused Sandra’s blood pressure to spike, and she was hospitalized. Determined to seek justice, she contacted her family in Nigeria, who reported the matter to the authorities. The Rivers State Police Commissioner referred the case to the C4i Intelligence Unit for investigation.
Despite repeated intimidation calls from the scammers to deter Sandra from involving the authorities, the police pursued the case. Onyedikachi was arrested on August 14, 2024, in Enugu, where he was living off the proceeds of the scam. During questioning, he confessed to operating the “Engineer Desmond” account and admitted to using images of construction projects to deceive the victim.
Onyedikachi also revealed that he had spent eight months in Accra, Ghana, learning online fraud. His arrest led to the capture of his accomplice, Akachukwu Benedict, on August 16, 2024, at a hotel in Enugu, where he had booked a suite for an entire year. Benedict confessed to introducing Onyedikachi to online fraud and admitted to his own fraudulent activities, including swindling an American woman of $600 in 2021.
The suspects detailed their operations, revealing that they obtained phone numbers through a dealer who specializes in cloned SIM cards. To avoid detection, they processed most payments through cryptocurrency wallets. The police have recovered several items linked to the fraud, including a Toyota Corolla, land documents, laptops, and phones.
