Fraud/Impersonation: Former IG Okiro Raises Alarm

FORMER INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE MIKE MBAMA OKIRO

SAN FRANCISCO, January 28, (THEWILL) - Former Inspector-General (IG) of Police Mike Mbama Okiro has alerted the public to be wary of fraudsters whom he said are using his name to defraud people.  
 
In a statement Saturday, the former IGP stated that the fraudsters had attempted to defraud a Commissioner of Police (CP) who had served in Lagos State and a retired Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police (names withheld).
 
Okiro further alerted that the fraudsters had called the CP and the DIG at various times last year, claiming to be him and demanded for money to be paid into a bank account.
 
‘They called the CP and the DIG claiming to be me and told them to support me with money because I am broke after spending much money to contest for the Senate which I failed.’
 
The former IG gave the GSM numbers used in calling the two senior officers as 08054666646 and 07064448444, while the account number given by the fraudsters was UBA 2051814809. The name of the owner of the account given by the fraudsters was Ashiedu Ogorchukwu.
 
Okiro added that when the officers suspected foul play, they contacted him to verify the callers’ request. ‘I was shocked when the officers called me. And I told them to play along with them and arrest them,’ he said.
 
According to him, ‘when the officers called them back they refused to pick the calls.’
 
The former IGP also disclosed another fraudster who claimed to be Ifeanyi son of late Haz Iwendi, former Force Public `Relations Officer and CP in charge of Kaduna State police command until death, also attempted to dupe him.
 
Okiro said, Ifeanyi called him and claimed to be Haz Iwendi’s son and ‘had an accident on January 4, 2012 and needed N15, 000 to buy books instead of paying for hospital bill. So I suspected him and told him to go his VC (Vice Chancellor) and call me so that I will tell the VC where to get money for him. Instead, he claimed that he cannot reach the VC because of the accident and sent me an account number he said belongs to his friend.’ Okiro gave the account number as UBA 01350680012602 belonging to one Okorie Valentine Isaac.
 
‘I wish to alert police officers and members of the public that I have not requested anybody to pay money into any account that does not bear my name. Anybody who transacts business with a corporate body or individual on my behalf without my consent does so at his or her risk,’ Okiro alerted.