Two high-profile suspects have been apprehended by the Nigeria Police Force over their alleged involvement in major cyber and financial crimes, including a $210,000 fraudulent investment deal and a N452 million fake charity scheme.
According to a statement released on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the arrests were made by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Abuja in separate coordinated operations.
Canadian national, Robert Harms, was taken into custody in connection with a fraudulent investment operation that targeted Tepison Enterprises, a company based in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
Harms reportedly came into contact with the firm through a Polaris Bank account officer in June 2023.
Police investigations indicated that Harms persuaded Tepison Enterprises to invest $210,000 in a fictitious Waste-to-Energy Project in Canada, promising the company a $30,000 return within four weeks.
“Under this pretence, Tepison Enterprises transferred $210,000 to secure a fabricated ‘capital project bond,’” the police said.
Further probing revealed that Harms had forged a document titled “Project Bridge Loan Agreement” and moved the funds via a Bureau de Change in Abuja to an account based in Dubai. He also falsely claimed ties with VDQ-NRG Systems Limited.
“Further inquiries confirmed that Harms had no legitimate affiliation with VDQ-NRG Systems Limited,” the statement said.
He was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on February 7, 2025, while attempting to leave Nigeria for Canada.
Harms reportedly confessed to receiving the money and breaching the terms of the investment agreement.
Following the filing of criminal charges on April 22, Harms was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Uyo on May 9, 2025. The court ordered his remand at the Uyo Custodial Centre, with proceedings adjourned to May 20.
In a separate operation, Nigerian suspect Ms. Okeke Njaka, previously declared wanted in 2021, was re-arrested in Abuja on May 8, 2025.
Njaka was initially apprehended in Anambra on January 4, 2025, over allegations of cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and defrauding individuals under false pretences. She later absconded after being granted bail.
“Investigations revealed Njaka’s active involvement in cyberstalking and cyberbullying through multiple social media platforms, where she maliciously distributed nude photos and videos of her victims,” the police said.
Njaka is scheduled for arraignment at the Federal High Court on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
Her non-governmental organisation, Ogechi Helping Hands Foundation, is also being prosecuted over its role in a fraudulent medical assistance scheme amounting to N452,821,982.
The case includes her collaborators Emeka Ezeogbo and Tolotolo Family Foundation and is currently before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Reiterating the police force’s stance on fighting cyber-enabled financial crimes, Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, urged Nigerians to be vigilant when engaging in cross-border business ventures.
“The Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun Ph.D, NPM once again emphasises its unyielding resolve to combatting all forms of transnational financial crimes and urges members of the public to exercise utmost caution and due diligence before entering into high-value international agreements and to promptly report any suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies,” the statement read.
The police further encouraged Nigerians to carry out proper background checks before engaging in large financial transactions and to swiftly alert authorities if anything appears suspicious.