Rivers police arrest suspect on EFCC wanted list over N50m fraud

The Rivers State Police Command has said its operatives have arrested a suspect, Joel MBA Okodi, who has been on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for four years over a  N50m fraud.

Joel MBA Okodi, popularly known as ‘Chief’, was said to be a resident of Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State and listed as a Director at Chismo Resources Limited, Ikot-Ekpene.

A statement by the State Police command public relations officer, SP Grace Iringe Koko,  Sunday said the suspect had deceitfully collected the sum of N50 million from one Chief Okosisi and was arrested by the EFCC after the case was reported.

Koko stated that while the fraud case was being investigated, the suspect coaxed another victim, Mr Ochulor Okeokwu, to stand as surety in the case.

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“To secure the suspect’s release, Mr Okeokwu unsuspectingly tendered his house documents worth N50 million as collateral at the EFCC Office in Port Harcourt. After that, the suspect refused to turn up for investigation at the EFCC office and was nowhere to be found, evading phone calls.

“On the few occasions, he was reached via phone calls, he violently threatened Mr Okeokwu to desist from calling him.

“Mr Okeokwu then proceeded to send a petition to the Inspector General of Police, who approved and forwarded it to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, who immediately sprang into action and mandated men of Operation Sting to ensure that the suspect was arrested in the shortest time possible.

“The operatives of the Rivers State Police Command then proceeded to carry out thorough investigation and diligent finding to ascertain the location of the suspect as somewhere in Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos, where he had been in hiding all these years.

“The operatives then submitted relevant policing documents, mobilised, and went into Lagos to carry out the arrest on 18/1/2024 at about 2034hrs at Ajegunle in Lagos,” the statement said.

The PPRO said the case is currently being handled by the EFCC, adding that the Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu, has warned that Rivers State is not a criminal hideout and has no room for criminals.