The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a 63-year-old man, Ernesto Chukwudum Chukwukamma, for alleged extortion, impersonation, and obtaining the sum of ₦2m under false pretence to influence the investigation of a $4.5 billion alleged Petroleum Trust Fund fraud.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Chukwukamma is accused of intimidating a petitioner and taking financial enticement from him in exchange for terminating the investigation into the suspected $4.5 billion fraud.
The suspect was reported to have falsely identified himself as an EFCC journalist and stated that other reporters linked with the commission’s correspondents’ chapel had gotten a report suggesting that the petitioner had stolen the monies while the PTF was being wound down.
Oyewale said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested a fake journalist, Ernesto Chukwudum Chukwukamma, for alleged extortion, impersonation and obtaining ₦2,000,000.00 under false pretences to influence the investigation of the sum of $4,500,000,000.00 alleged Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) fraud.
“The suspect allegedly presented himself to the petitioner as a journalist attached to the EFCC. He also allegedly informed the petitioner that other journalists who are members of a Correspondence Chapel attached to the commission had a report of how he stole the sum of $4,500,000,000.00 in the process of winding up the activities of the Petroleum Trust Fund.
“Investigation revealed that the suspect had already received the sum of N2,000,000.00 from the petitioner and was arrested while attempting to withdraw the funds.”
Oyewale added that the suspect will be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
