Fraudster impersonates Ooni on Facebook, dupes two American-based ladies

A suspected Internet fraudster, Abiodun Joseph, who impersonated the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on his Facebook account, and had duped two Nigerian ladies based in the United States of America of various sums of money had been arrested by the Ogun State Police command.

The bearded suspect was said to have been arrested last Wednesday 19th April at Ilese, in Ijebu North East Local Government Area.

Joseph was paraded alongside three other armed robbers and kidnappers at the state command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta on Monday.

The suspect had allegedly duped the ladies to the tune of N600,000 which he had been paid through money transfer.

While parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, said Joseph had been using his Facebook and Whatsapp accounts to dupe unsuspecting members of the public.

He said his men got wind of his illicit act of the 26-year-old suspect and swung into the action.

He said, “On interrogation, he owned up to the crime and confessed that he has duped some people to the tune of N600,000.”

While speaking with PUNCH METRO, Joseph said he opened the Facebook account October last year, purposely to defraud people.

He said he uploaded Ooni’s pictures from the Internet and used them on his Facebook account, and in no time, people mostly ladies began to send him requests, many commenting on his good looks.

Joseph revealed that many ladies sent requests to him that they wanted to be his ‘Oloris’ thinking he was genuine and this was how he was able to defraud some of them.

He said, “I opened the Facebook account in October last year purposefully for Internet scam. I knew that Ooni was popular that was why I uploaded his picture.

“Barely few days after I opened the Facebook account, many people, mostly ladies started to send me friend requests. Many of them said I have good looks and they said they wanted to be my ‘Oloris’ (wives).

“But in our chats, I told them that they have to pay some money if they are really interested in being my Oloris. Two of them based in the United States of America fell for the scam sent some money totalling N600,000 to me through money transfer mode.

“One sent N350,000 and the second one sent N250,000. ”

Some of the ladies were really desperate, as some of them sent nude pictures, showing their breasts and private parts, as seen by our reporter from one of two IPhone 6 seized from the suspect.

Joseph, however, said one of ladies had demanded that he should buy her a house which amount was worth N45m.

But Joseph said he told her that she had to pay N5m out of the amount and he would make up the balance for her.

He was still waiting for that N5m last Wednesday before the police swooped on his residence and arrested him.

Joseph said he regretted his action and sought the forgiveness of Oba Ogunwusi.

“I regret my action, most especially using the name and pictures of the Ooni to perpetuate fraud, and sought for his forgiveness,” he said.

( Punch)