Even while in detention, an EndSARS protester still had enough contacts to allegedly swindle a 32-year-old woman of the sum of N800,000.
The suspect, identified as Francis Adekunle by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun command, was detained at the Ibara Correctional Center, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when he allegedly perpetrated the crime
Ogun NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Dyke Ogbonaya, while parading the suspect at the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta on Tuesday, said Adekunle, who was released in October, was detained for his participation in the violent EndSARS protest of 2020.
While in the correctional facility, the suspect was said to have carried out the fraud through an accomplice, who the NSCDC said was also on death roll at the correctional centre.
Ogbonaya said the suspect initiated a relationship with the woman via a Facebook account, lying to the woman that he had issues with his boss, who had later facilitated his being in the facility.
“He then introduced the victim to another inmate who is on death roll at the facility as his uncle and sought her assistance to secure his freedom,” he said.
The NSCDC spokesman said the “fake uncle” who is on death roll, also introduced the woman to a lawyer.
“The woman has been crediting the lawyer’s account so as to release her lover from the facility,” it was said.
Ogbonaya revealed that Adekunle was apprehended at trailers park, Kuto, Abeokuta, adding that another of his accomplices, Lucky, was currently at large.
While saying the suspect would be handed over to the police, Ogbonaya warned youths to desist from online relationships.
Speaking with journalists, the suspect confessed being in a love relationship with the victim.
He, however, denied swindling the woman of the said amount.
