The Niger State Police Command has arrested an 18-year-old man, Victor Ugwu, of Easy Life Street, Kaduna Road, for allegedly impersonating a woman to defraud his friend in a dating scam.

According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, the suspect was apprehended on October 16, 2025, at about 6:00 p.m. by a patrol team attached to the Maje Division, Suleja LGA, during a routine patrol along Kaduna Road.

Abiodun revealed that Victor was caught in a public altercation with one Peter, who had contacted him to help introduce a female colleague from his workplace. However, instead of arranging the meeting, Victor reportedly dressed up as a woman, took selfie pictures, and sent them to Peter through social media, pretending to be the lady.

“Surprisingly, Victor chose to dress like a lady, took selfie pictures and forwarded to Peter through social media, and requested money,” Abiodun said.

A search conducted at Victor’s residence led to the recovery of a wig and female clothing. The suspect confessed that he had been using fake female identities on Facebook and TikTok to lure unsuspecting victims, both for romance scams and to gain more followers for monetization.

“He confessed that he shared the pictures to his contacts on Facebook and TikTok for a dating scam, and to also achieve one thousand viewers and followers for monetisation,” the police spokesperson added.

The case is currently under further investigation.

In a separate operation, the Maje Division patrol team also recovered a stolen white Volkswagen Golf vehicle with registration number RSH 442 FD, which had been reported missing from Hayin-Kaduna. The vehicle was later found abandoned along the Maje-Dikko Junction to Kaduna Road, and has since been confirmed by the owner.

The Niger State Police Command has assured residents of its continued efforts to clamp down on cybercrime and other forms of criminal activity across the state.