A man identifying himself as Barrister Okey Okereke and falsely claiming to be a Professor of Law at the Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has been exposed for allegedly defrauding a young woman of ₦70,000 in Anambra State.
According to a detailed public alert shared on the Anambra Elites Forum on February 24, 2026, by Ambp-un Stephen Chukwudi Ksji, the suspect approached the victim on December 15, 2025, presenting himself as a senior lecturer and practicing barrister capable of recovering money she had lost to an earlier scam that same day.
He reportedly convinced the lady to pay him ₦70,000 to facilitate the retrieval process, claiming he would use his office, legal connections, and influence to expedite proceedings. The payment was made with an assurance of positive outcome within two weeks from the date of transaction.
However, no evidence of any legal action, court filing, or progress was ever provided to the victim. When pressed for proof that the money was used for its intended purpose, the suspect failed to produce receipts, documents from the Department of State Services (DSS), police, or any legal office he claimed to have engaged. He also offered no verifiable record of proceedings.
Further investigation revealed that his claim of being a professor at UNIZIK was entirely false. Multiple inquiries, including direct checks with university staff, confirmed he has no affiliation with the institution’s Faculty of Law or any other department.
When confronted over the refund, the man allegedly claimed he had traveled to Enugu, lodged in a hotel, and used the money to initiate processes at a Fidelity Bank branch in Enugu in January. This explanation was contradicted by the timeline—he received the ₦70,000 on December 15, 2025, and had repeatedly promised results within two weeks, long before the supposed January activity.
The whistleblower warned that the suspect has allegedly defrauded numerous other vulnerable individuals, including students, using the same modus operandi of posing as a high-ranking academic and legal practitioner to gain trust and extract money under false pretenses.
Public reaction on the forum has been one of shock and condemnation, with many expressing concern over how individuals exploit professional titles and institutional names to perpetrate fraud. Contributors urged members of the public—especially students, young professionals, and victims of earlier scams—to exercise extreme caution when dealing with unsolicited offers of help from persons claiming legal or academic authority.
No official police report or arrest has been confirmed in connection with this specific case as of February 25, 2026. The Anambra Elites Forum post serves as a cautionary alert, calling on the general public to verify credentials, avoid upfront payments for promised services, and report suspicious individuals to relevant authorities immediately.
The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of impersonation scams in Nigeria, where fraudsters frequently impersonate respected professionals to exploit trust and desperation.
