The Delta State police command has arrested three suspects for allegedly impersonating government officials to defraud unsuspecting individuals seeking employment, political appointments and other government privileges.

In a statement on Tuesday, the command’s spokesman, Bright Edafe, said the suspects were arrested following an investigation by detectives attached to the Area Command, Effurun. 

The suspects were identified as Aghogho Okpogbodu (51), Moses Exist (48) and Benjamin Owah (49).

He said preliminary findings showed that the suspects allegedly used SIM cards registered in the names of prominent public officials, including Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Director of Protocol to the Delta State Governor, Onoriode Sunday; and the governor’s Chief of Staff, Johnson Erijo, among others.

Mr Edafe said, “They also allegedly exploited a caller-identification application on mobile phones, which displays names associated with incoming telephone numbers, to create the false impression that their calls originated from the officials being impersonated.”

He noted that the suspects impersonated Mr Sunday and defrauded a community leader from Otu-Jeremi of over ₦5 million under the false pretence of facilitating his appointment as president-general of the community. 

According to him, a search of the suspects’ premises led to the recovery of seven mobile phones and seventeen SIM cards.

Other items include, twelve ATM cards bearing different account holders’ names, one Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal and documents containing financial and identification information belonging to different individuals. 

He added that investigation was ongoing to identify other possible victims and accomplices.