The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has apprehended a 63-year-old man, Ernesto Chukwukamma, for for allegedly impersonating a journalist to extort the sum of N2 million in an attempt to obstruct a high-profile corruption investigation.
Chukwukamma’s arrest as learnt was prompted after he posed as a journalist affiliated with the Commission and demanded a bribe from a petitioner to suppress details of an alleged $4.5 billion fraud linked to the now-defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).
As gathered, the suspect threatened the petitioner, claiming a group of journalists under a fictitious Correspondents Chapel attached to the EFCC had a report implicating him in the embezzlement of $4.5 billion during the PTF’s winding down process.
According to the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, who disclosed details of his arrest to newsmen yesterday, Chukwukamma allegedly demanded N2 million to “kill” the story and influence the ongoing investigation.
“The suspect was arrested while attempting to withdraw the N2 million he had collected from the petitioner, his arrest followed credible intelligence and swift operational response by the Commission,” he said.
Chukwukamma, who now faces charges of extortion, impersonation, and obtaining money under false pretence, will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Commission has urged the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious individuals claiming to represent the EFCC, warning that impersonation is a criminal offence and will be prosecuted accordingly.
