Nigerian posing as UK envoy held

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, December 16

Nigerian national Ibukum Bernadict (32), who posed as a British diplomat to dupe a local resident of Rs 5 lakh, was arrested by the Gurdaspur police today. He was planning to cheat others keen to go abroad, particularly students receiving IELTS training.

In June, Gurdaspur resident Varun Chauhan had lodged a complaint with the city police station, stating that he had given Rs 5 lakh to a “British diplomat”. Subsequently, SSP Swarandeep Singh launched an investigation.

Ibukum has been booked under various sections of the IPC and the Foreigners Act, 1946. He has been remanded in two-day police custody.

Varun had applied for a job online in May. The Nigerian, who was staying in Bengaluru on an expired visa, sent him an email claiming that he was working in the British High Commission in New Delhi. He offered to help him get a UK visa and a work permit.

The SSP said Ibukum used the Internet to find the names of employees working in the High Commission and zeroed in on a particular name for impersonation.

“After noticing that the Gurdaspur resident had taken the bait, the accused started demanding money. Varun paid about Rs 5 lakh in three instalments. When Ibukum demanded more, Varun got suspicious and lodged a complaint,” said Kulwant Singh, investigating officer and SHO, city police station.

The cops sent a team to Bengaluru on the basis of the Nigerian’s IP address and mobile tower records, but soon lost track as he kept changing his mobile phone and laptop. Another team, comprising computer experts, was formed.

Led by Sub-Inspector Narinder Singh, the team finally managed to track him down to an address in Bengaluru.

“Initial questioning has revealed that the accused had collected the addresses of many students doing IELTS courses in various cities and was all set to deceive them,” the SSP added.