The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old suspected cybercriminal, Umar Yau, for allegedly defrauding over 40 people online. The suspect, known as “Snake,” is a resident of Yelwan Makaranta in Bauchi metropolis.

The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Ahmed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. He said Yau was apprehended following an investigation triggered by a petition from an online businesswoman, Mrs. Fatimah Faiz Ali Bawahab.

Wakil explained that the suspect used multiple fraudulent identities and bank accounts to deceive his victims. In March 2022, one Nafiu Muhd alerted Mrs. Bawahab about a Facebook account, “Amizeebaby Muhd,” advertising a fake online business.

Payments were solicited into a First Bank account bearing the name Hansatu Yau. After making payment, Muhd was blocked by the suspect.

Further reports in 2023 revealed that someone had created a Facebook account impersonating Mrs. Bawahab, using her name and photos to defraud unsuspecting individuals. Payments were again directed to the same bank account.

Acting on the petition, the Commissioner of Police ordered the CP Monitoring Unit to investigate. Detectives employed technology-driven techniques and, on June 5, 2025, at about 9:00 p.m., identified and arrested Yau as the operator of the fraudulent Facebook accounts.

Police said Yau had been engaged in online fraud since 2019, using multiple accounts in names such as Yau Hansatu and Umar Yau.

Items recovered from the suspect include nine ATM cards from different banks, two NIN cards, three voter’s cards, three new SIM cards, a ZTE Universal Mobile 4G MiFi device, and a smartphone box.

Police also recovered an FCMB account opening form filled out without his sister’s consent, along with her academic documents.

Wakil said Yau confessed to defrauding people through fake online businesses and cryptocurrency schemes over the past five years, with about 40 victims swindled through various marketing scams.