The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old man, Tony Ameachi, after a N2.5 million payment for deep freezers allegedly turned into a months-long online fraud investigation.
Ameachi was arrested on September 22, 2026, in the Ojo area of Lagos State, nearly six months after a woman reported that she had paid N2.5 million for deep freezers advertised online but never received the goods.
The police said the investigation also uncovered what appeared to be a wider network involving the alleged use of newly registered SIM cards, bank accounts and other people’s personal documents to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the complainant, a dealer in the purchase and resale of deep freezers, saw an online advertisement for the goods on April 1 and contacted the person behind it.
After negotiations, she transferred N2.5 million into a bank account bearing the name Abdulmoruf Abdulahi.
But after receiving the payment, the seller allegedly failed to deliver the freezers and stopped responding to the woman’s messages.
She subsequently reported the matter at the Igbesa Police Division on April 4, prompting detectives to begin an investigation.
The investigation eventually led detectives to Ameachi, who was arrested in Lagos on September 22.
A search conducted during the arrest, according to the police, resulted in the recovery of 25 Automated Teller Machine cards, 25 mobile phones and 16 Subscriber Identity Module cards.
The police said further investigation indicated that the suspect allegedly obtained utility bills and newly registered SIM cards from associates and directed them to use the documents to open bank accounts.
The ATM cards were allegedly collected by Ameachi and used in transactions suspected to be fraudulent.
The command said the recovered phones, SIM cards and ATM cards were being examined to determine their connection with the deep-freezer fraud and establish whether they were linked to other similar cases or victims.
The suspect, case file and recovered exhibits have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The police said Ameachi would be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation.
The command also warned members of the public to exercise caution when making payments for goods advertised online, urging them to verify sellers before transferring substantial amounts of money.
It advised members of the public to preserve transaction receipts, bank details, telephone numbers, messages and other evidence when conducting online transactions.
The police further warned people against allowing others to use their bank accounts, ATM cards, SIM cards or personal documents, noting that such arrangements could expose them to criminal investigations.
