A 26-year-old, Musa Lurwanu Maje, popularly known on social media as Musa L. Maje, has been nabbed by operatives of the Kano State Police Command for blackmailing Nigerians on Facebook with their nude photographs and videos.
The suspect had created a Facebook page using the profile of a female with which he lured people to send their nudes.
Confirming the development, the spokesman of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, said a manhunt for the suspect was launched following public outcry on his activities.
Kiyawa said: “One Zahra Mansur, 20, also complained that she received phone calls from her close associates that someone used her name, pictures, and videos to create Facebook accounts, defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.” The state Commissioner of Police, Sama’ila Dikko, was said to have instructed a team of detectives, led by SP Shehu Dahiru, to arrest the culprit.
Kiyawa added: “Sustained efforts and intelligence-led follow-ups led to the arrest of the suspect, Musa Lurwanu Maje, popularly known on social media as Musa L Maje, 26.
“The suspect was arrested in possession of a Redmi Note 11 Pro mobile phone, valued at N200,000, including other accessories bought from the proceeds of fraud. The sum of N70,000 was also recovered in his possession, including nude pictures and videos of victims.
“He claimed to have created a fake Facebook account bearing Zahra Mansur and used her pictures and videos to defraud people without her consent. He also confessed to have deceived many people and got their nude pictures and videos, and threatened to blackmail them if they refused to send money to him.”