EFCC Arrests ‘Fake’ Football Agent, Osagie Destiny Over Alleged N11m Scam

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Benin Zonal Directorate, have arrested Osagie Destiny Etinosa for allegedly defrauding an aspiring footballer of N11 million.

The agency said the suspect was picked up through open source intelligence after he posed as a genuine football intermediary on social media.

Etinosa operated an Instagram account, @officialking_etto, where he claimed to specialise in linking Nigerian players with foreign clubs for trials and recruitment.

In the main case, he allegedly collected N11 million from victim Samuel Beke Ohazuruike with a promise to secure trial opportunities in clubs in Romania and Bulgaria.

Those deals never materialised, according to the EFCC statement.

Efforts by the victim to get his money back proved futile.

NaijaChoice News reports that the suspect will be charged to court in due course.

The development comes at a time when thousands of young Nigerians chase football dreams abroad, often falling prey to individuals who exploit the passion for the round leather game.

Many talents from Edo State and across the country have been lured by similar promises of European trials, only to lose hard-earned money to scammers.

The EFCC has intensified operations against such fraudsters as part of its mandate to protect citizens from economic crimes.

This latest arrest in Benin City underscores the agency’s commitment to tackling football-related scams that continue to damage the hopes of budding players.