A 43-year-old man, Ikechukwu Igwegbe Ilodinru, has been arrested by operatives of the Anambra State Police Command for fraudulently presenting himself as the son of a late house owner, claiming his estate and money in the process.
The Command’s spokesman, Haruna Mohammed, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Mohammed, operatives attached to ‘B’ Division, Awka arrested Ilodinru of Onneh village in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State on August 17, 2020 at about 5pm.
He was reported to have approached the probate Registry of the State High Court, Awka and started processing for a Letter of Administration in respect of a deceased person, Okafor Osuokwu Anthony, presenting himself as the deceased’s first and only son in order to obtain the document that would have given him access to the deceased property, estates and bank deposits.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect equally swore to an oath under false pretence that he is the deceased’s biological son.
He also obtained a forged death certificate allegedly from the National Population Commission, stating that the deceased, whose actual death occurred July 27, 2020, died on July 23, 2020.
He then rushed to Union Bank to withdraw the deceased’s deposit, but was advised to get a Letter of Administration.
The suspect, who voluntarily confessed to the crime, was a tenant in the deceased’s house at Igboukwu.
The deceased’s first son, whom Ilodinru impersonated, lives in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Exhibits recovered from him included alleged forged death certificate of the deceased, false sworn declaration as the deceased’s next of kin and sworn affidavit in the High Court, Awka.
Mohammed said investigation was ongoing, after which the suspect would be charged to Court for prosecution.
