The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed that Joseph Efe, the alleged fraudster caught in a viral video, will be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution. This decision follows a request by the police, stating that the crime Efe is accused of falls under its mandate.
Addressing journalists on Friday, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, NSCDC Commandant of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), disclosed that Efe, aged 30, was arrested after attempting to flee an Abuja hotel where he allegedly assaulted a woman. The victim, Olivia Chukwuemeka, was found naked and bound with adhesive tape in a hotel room. According to Odumosu, Efe, who identified himself as a “Yahoo boy” (internet fraudster), lures women through dating sites with the intent to rob them.
Efe’s arrest followed a suspicious movement that caught the attention of NSCDC operatives. After a brief chase, he was apprehended, leading the officers to discover the bound victim. Odumosu further revealed that Efe operates between Port Harcourt, Lagos, Benin, and Abuja, targeting women in hotel rooms to steal their phones and money.
Preliminary investigations also link Efe to a previous failed attack on another woman in a different hotel in Abuja, where he escaped after being confronted by hotel staff.
Odumosu clarified that the viral video of the incident was not recorded by NSCDC operatives and assured that the suspect would be handed over to the police once preliminary investigations are completed. He warned hotel owners to be more vigilant and urged young women to avoid situations that might endanger their lives.
In a separate development, NSCDC also arrested a suspected vandal, Usman Ibrahim, for stealing armored cables from a transformer at the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission. Odumosu revealed that Ibrahim, a notorious vandal, had been operating in the Gwagwalada and Kwali areas and that further investigations are ongoing.
Additionally, three men, Theophilus Oche, Danladi Auwal, and Ado Alqasim, were arrested for vandalizing air conditioners and cables at the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) in Kwali. They were caught transporting the stolen materials on a motorcycle.
Odumosu reiterated the NSCDC’s commitment to combating crime and ensuring that justice is served, warning criminals to desist from illegal activities. Various exhibits, including armored cables and a motorcycle, were recovered from the suspects.
