Nigerian ex-convict jailed eight years for defrauding Ghana's Commissioner of Police

An Accra Circuit Court One has sentenced a Nigerian identified as Bright Daniels to eight years imprisonment with hard labor for defrauding a Ghanaian Commissioner of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah.

According to local media, Daniels was a convicted prisoner at the Nsawam Prisons. Despite denying the offence he was taken through trial and found guilty of the crime.

The victim is a former boss of the CID who is now stationed at the National Police Headquarters, Accra.

The Ghana News Agency reports that Daniels who is an ex-convict had already served a seven-year jail term at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons. Submissions in the court revealed that accomplice, Livinus Amadianaeze Ugwu, also an ex-convict and a Nigerian, is on the run, the Court heard.

DSP Nyamekye said in April 2021, COP Addo-Danquah’s attention was drawn to a fake Facebook Messenger account created in her name and bearing her picture that was being used to solicit money from police personnel under the pretext of getting them slots to United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) Missions in Somalia and Sudan, GNA reports.

He said that Daniel who is the user of the fake Facebook account contacted the victims and directed them to pay money via Airtel/Tigo cash to phone number 0271701436.

An amount of GHC10,000.00 which is equivalent to 419,047.62 naira was then transferred to the number by one Detective Chief Inspector Baffoe and the amount was said to have been withdrawn by Daniels.

When traced, the prosecution said the phone number was then traced to the environs of the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons in the Easter Region.

Further investigations revealed that Daniels was the user of the number.

DSP Nyamekye said Forensic Examination conducted on the devices revealed that Daniels and Ugwu conspired to use the name and photograph of the COP Addo-Danquah to collect money from Police personnel under the pretext of getting them a slot to travel to the United Nations and African Union Mission in Somalia, reports GNA.

Daniels then acquired the SIM card with 0271701436 that was used to receive money from their victims.

He admitted the offence and after investigations, he was charged and put before this court.