The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a man identified as Adewale Ogoemi Arojah for allegedly impersonating a renowned prophet on Facebook and defrauding worshippers and other unsuspecting members of the public of more than N18 million.
The suspect was arrested by operatives of the Ilaro Division following a complaint lodged on October 3 by Muyiwa Akogun, popularly known on Facebook as “Prophet Dr. Muyiwa Akogun”.
Akogun reportedly alerted the police after several members of the public complained about fraudulent activities being carried out in his name through a duplicated Facebook account.
Following the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer, Ilaro Division, immediately deployed intelligence and detective operatives to identify and apprehend the person behind the fraudulent account.
Through sustained technological monitoring and intelligence-led analysis, detectives reportedly traced the suspect to a village in Ajegunle, along the Ilaro/Ibogun axis, where he was arrested.
During interrogation, Arojah allegedly confessed to impersonating Prophet Akogun on Facebook.
The suspect reportedly admitted using the cleric’s identity to offer fake prophecies and prayer services to unsuspecting individuals seeking spiritual assistance.
According to the police, his alleged victims included people residing in Nigeria and members of the Nigerian diaspora.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly targeted individuals seeking spiritual help on the prophet’s Facebook page, gained their confidence and subsequently demanded money from them under the guise of prayers and spiritual intervention.
The police said the fraudulent activities had allegedly fetched him more than N18 million.
Confirming the arrest, the Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta.
Babaseyi said the transfer was to facilitate further investigation into the case, establish the full extent of the alleged fraud, identify possible accomplices and determine the appropriate legal action.
The police investigation is expected to uncover how long the alleged impersonation had been operating, the number of victims involved and the channels through which the suspect allegedly received the proceeds of the fraud.
The command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and verify the identities of individuals requesting money in the name of religious leaders, particularly through social media platforms.
