By Rauf Oyewole
The Bauchi State Police Command said it has arrested a 25 years old Umar Yau, a suspected cybercriminal, fraudster and identity thief, a resident of Yelwan Makaranta, Bauchi metropolis.
Spokesperson for the Command, CSP Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Friday, states that Yau, known as "Snake," was nabbed following an extensive investigation initiated by a petition lodged by Mrs Fatimah Faiz Ali Bawahab, an online businesswoman.
Police said that a series of fraudulent activities were attributed to the suspect, utilising a deceptive online identity and operating two bank accounts. “In March 2022, one Nafiu Muhd alerted the complainant, Mrs Bawahab, regarding an individual using the Facebook username "Amizeebaby Muhd."
“The suspect was advertising an online business and soliciting payments to a First Bank account registered in the name of Hansatu Yau. Following the payment made by Mr Muhd, he was subsequently blocked from further communication, leading to suspicions that the accused employed multiple accounts to facilitate these fraudulent transactions, including First Bank (Hansatu Yau), PalmPay, and Momo Payment Service Bank (Umar Yau).”
According to Police, subsequent incidents emerged in early 2023 when various individuals informed Mrs Bawahab that a Facebook account impersonating her with her name and photographs had been created. “This account was reported to have actively defrauded innocent individuals online through payments directed to the same First Bank account named Hansatu Yau.
“The fraudulent demands persisted until the victims contacted Mrs Bawahab for verification, at which point they realised they had fallen victim to a scam. It became evident that Mrs Bawahab was being impersonated by an unknown perpetrator to execute these fraudulent activities.”
Wakil further explained that after receiving the petition, the Commissioner of Police Bauchi State Police Command directed the CP Monitoring Unit to conduct a thorough and discreet investigation.
“On June 5, 2025, at about 9:00pm, detectives employed technology-driven investigative techniques, successfully identifying Umar Yau as the individual behind the Facebook account "amizeebabymuhd."
“Investigation results indicated that Umar Yau had been engaged in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public online since 2019 through numerous accounts, including First Bank and PalmPay, registered under the names Yau Hansatu and Umar Yau.”
Wakil said that During the arrest, operatives recovered nine ATM cards from various banks, alongside a completed FCMB account opening form that was filled out without the consent of his sister, Maryam Yau, along with her academic documents.
Two 2 National Identification Number (NIN) plastic cards bearing the suspect's information. Three Voter's cards reflecting the suspect's details. Three new SIM cards from different telecommunications providers. One ZTE Universal Mobile 4G MiFi device. One Infinix Smart 9 smartphone box was recovered from the suspect.
“Umar Yau confessed to his extensive experience in fraud, spanning five years. He further acknowledged extending his criminal activities to cryptocurrency, where he reportedly defrauded approximately 40 victims of their funds through various marketing schemes.
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