Alleged $100 Million Fraud Investigation: ‘I Deserve a Medal, Not Blackmail’ – Police Officer Breaks Silence

Nkeiruka Nwode

Alleged $100 Million Fraud Investigation: ‘I Deserve a Medal, Not Blackmail’ – Police Officer Breaks Silence

In Nigeria’s often polarized debate over policing, stories of officers who say they have pursued accountability within the system rarely dominate the headlines.

But a senior police official has now come forward with a detailed account of how an investigation she handled turned into what she describes as prolonged blackmail, despite efforts to uncover alleged illicit financial behaviour.

Nkeiruka Nwode, who served as the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (ZPRO) for Zone 13, has defended his role in an investigation involving the alleged withdrawal of over $100 million from the bank account of a suspect detained in Anambra State.

According to Nwode, the matter began on January 21, 2023, when a lawyer, Barrister Nweke, together with Onyinye Ekwueme, visited his office to report that two brothers, Chibuike and Tochukwu Ekwueme, had been arrested by a joint task force on January 11 but their family had no information on their whereabouts.

The lawyer also claimed that large sums of money had been withdrawn without authorization from the bank account of one of the suspects.

Nwode said he immediately escalated the matter to the then Deputy Inspector General of Police, Abutu Yaro, who contacted the Anambra State Commissioner

The police will have to check whether the suspect was in police custody. The commissioner later confirmed that the suspect was indeed detained by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu.

During the subsequent internal investigation, the officer in charge of the RRS reportedly stated that a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps, identified as Nnamdi Daniel Emeh, had withdrawn money from the suspect’s account.

Concerned about the implications on the police’s reputation, Nwode said she had begun efforts to track down the corps member, who was reportedly in hiding.

She subsequently made contact with him via WhatsApp, during which he allegedly stated that the money was in the possession of a police officer.

Further investigations, he said, traced some of the money to a Bureau De Change operator in Onitsha after bank alerts revealed that $46 million had been transferred to the man’s account in multiple transactions.

The operator was arrested and reportedly told investigators that the funds were transferred at the request of a man identified as Paul Okorie, said to be a member of the Department of State Services (DSS).

According to the account provided, the funds were later converted into dollars and delivered via a member of the bank’s staff.

Nwode said investigators subsequently imposed restrictions on Okorie’s bank accounts as they attempted to unravel the entire chain of transactions.

Despite her involvement in tracking down the alleged fraud, the former police spokeswoman said she later became the target of what she described as sponsored media attacks aimed at forcing her to abandon the case.

She maintained that the pressure did not stop her from continuing the investigation, adding that she eventually tracked down the fleeing corps member to Benin Republic, where he was arrested and brought back to Nigeria.

Reflecting on the experience, Nwode said his actions were driven by professionalism and a desire to protect the integrity of the police force.

“I deserve praise and not blackmail,” he said, arguing that officers who pursue justice within the system should be recognized rather than vilified.

His statement comes amid renewed debates over accountability, transparency and public trust in Nigeria’s police institutions.