Men of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a suspect, Joel Mba Okodi, who has been wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for four years. Okodi, popularly referred to as ‘Chief’, was resident at No.21, Abak Road Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and is listed as a Director at Chismo Resources Limited, Ikot-Ekpene.
He had deceitfully collected the sum of N50 million from one Chief Okosisi and was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after the case was reported. While the fraud case was being investigated, he coaxed another victim, Mr Ochulor Okeokwu, to stand as surety in the case.
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, Rivers State. Daily Sun gathered that after that, the suspect refused to turn up for investigations at the EFCC office and was nowhere to be found, evading phone calls.
Police source said 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 to Lagos to carry out the arrest on January 18, 2024 at about 8:34pm at Ajegunle in Lagos.
The case is currently being handled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Commissioner of Police,Rivers State , Olatunji Disu, has advised individuals to be cautious when standing surety.
He warned that there would be no hiding place for criminals in the state.
THE SUN
