Fake philanthropist arrested for allegedly stealing 18 bags of rice in Enugu

A 45-year-old man has been arrested by the police in Enugu State, south-east Nigeria for allegedly stealing 18 bags of rice in the state.

The suspect, Joseph Nnamani, was said to have stolen the bags of rice after presenting himself as a philanthropist intending to distribute the rice for charity at a church on 14 February.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the 18 bags of rice were valued at about N400,000.

The police spokesperson said that on February 14, Valentine’s Day, Joseph went to the premises of a church (name withheld) in Ogui, Enugu, from where he called the businessman (name withheld) on the phone. He requested 18 pieces of 25kg bags of rice under the pretence of wanting to use the same for charity to the church.

He said that the businessman accordingly supplied the rice and unsuspectingly followed Joseph to the bank to receive his payment through bank transfer.

However, in the course of making the payment, Joseph secretly left the bank, went back to the church, and took the bags of rice to an unknown destination.

Ndukwe said,

“The suspect, however, could not run or hide for so long, as the Police Operatives, upon receiving the report, embarked on an intelligence-driven investigation, which led to his arrest on January 20, 2024, at Enene, Enugu.

“Eight out of the 18 25kg bags of rice were recovered from him, after he had re-bagged and sold the other bags at Oye Emene Market, Enugu.

“The suspect and his cohorts will surely have a date with the court of law once investigations are concluded.

“The citizenry, particularly businessmen and women, are hereby advised to always be security conscious and wary of whom and how they transact in such circumstances, to avoid falling prey to fraudulent suspects like Nnamani.”

“Additionally, while the investigation lasts, person(s) who may have suffered a similar act of fraud by the suspect, are encouraged to report to the mentioned Police Division to volunteer relevant information,” Ndukwe said.

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