Police offer N5m bounty on Canada-based Nigerian woman for ‘impersonating Edo NUJ chairman’

The police command in Edo has announced a N5 million reward for information that would lead to the arrest of one Rachael Eboni Osazee Iyonmana, a Canada-based Nigerian lady, over allegations of cyberbullying, defamation and impersonation.

According to NAN, Chidi Nwabuzor, the command’s spokesperson, announced the bounty at a press conference held in Benin, the state capital, on Monday.

Nwabuzor said the suspect had opened multiple Facebook accounts, using the photographs and full name of Festus Alenkhe, the chairman of the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).

He added that Iyonmana used demeaning, derogatory language and made people believe that the NUJ chairman was the one in charge of the social media accounts.

The police spokesperson said the force had declared the suspect wanted in January, but she escaped to Canada before her arrest.

“On January 11, the commissioner of police received a petition from the chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Edo state council, Festus Alenkhe, over the alleged offence of cyberbullying/stalking and defamation of character, against one Rachael Eboni Osazee Iyonmana,” Nwabuzor said.

“The suspect used the internet to bully and even defame his character.

“On February 13, investigations revealed that after she was declared wanted. The suspect who is based in Canada also went out of her way and created different Facebook accounts, using the complainant’s picture and continued to transmit messages as if the complainant was the one transmitting them.

“We want to make the public aware that those Facebook accounts created by Rachael (suspect) were not the handiwork of the complainant.

“The suspect did that to make people believe that Festus was the one doing it.”

Nwabuzor said anyone with details of the suspect’s presence in the country would be rewarded, adding that the police force had also synergised with the Nigeria Immigration Service to arrest Iyonmana any time she returns to the country.

“From investigation, Rachael is based in Canada. Therefore, anybody with information about her presence in Nigeria should inform the police, and the information would be entertained by the office of the commissioner of police, PPRO, and anti-kidnapping and cybercrime unit, and the informant would be rewarded with N5 million,” the police spokesperson said.