Rivers police arrest man wanted by EFCC for four years

Men of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a suspect, Joel Okodi, who has been on the run after being declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission years ago.

Okodi, popularly known as ‘Chief’, was a resident at No.21, Abak Road Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

It was gathered that he allegedly fraudulently 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 persuaded 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 Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the EFCC.

However, the suspect refused to turn up for investigations at the EFCC office and was nowhere to be found, even as he was evading several telephone calls.

The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the arrest to newsmen in a statement in Port Harcourt on Sunday, said on the few occasions the suspect was reached by telephone, he violently threatened Mr. Okeokwu to stop calling him.

Iringe-Koko said 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, Olatunji Disu, who immediately mandated men of Operation Sting to ensure that the suspect was arrested.

The statement read, “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 in 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 18/1/2024 at about 2034hrs at Ajegunle in Lagos.”

While noting that the coordinated efforts that led to the arrest are a testament that there is no hiding place for criminals, Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police said, “The case is currently being handled by the EFCC”.

According to her, the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, urged members of the public to be mindful of people they want to stand surety for, adding that the command under his watch will make the state too hot for criminal elements.