Police arrest Abuja DJ for buying expensive goods with fake alerts
An Abuja-based disc jockey, Raymond Terver, popularly known as DJ Ice, has been arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team for allegedly purchasing expensive drinks and other goods using fake alerts.
According to the police, the suspect sold the drinks and other goods through intermediaries to conceal his identity.
Parading the suspect in Abuja on Tuesday, Force Spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi said DJ Ice’s luck ran out after he purchased drinks from a hotel in August using a fake alert.
Adejobi added that the suspect, who started the crime in June 2024, made over ₦8 million from the scheme, which he used to purchase DJ equipment.
Adejobi said, “The suspect was arrested in August 2024 for purchasing goods using fake payment alerts. He admitted to starting this scheme in June 2024, ordering expensive drinks, particularly Hennessy XO, from the ‘For You’ Hotel and Restaurant in Jabi, Abuja.
“He would send fake payment receipts via WhatsApp, arrange for a dispatch rider to collect the drinks, and then send them through intermediaries to conceal his identity.
Terver revealed he generated the fake alerts using the Paint app on his computer.
“The restaurant noticed discrepancies in their inventory and reported the issue to the IRT, which led to his arrest. After a thorough investigation, he confessed to making over ₦8 million from this fraud, which he used to buy DJ equipment.”
Addressing journalists, DJ Ice said he turned to crime because of the hardship in the country.
He said, “The reason I decided to go down this path is because of the hardship we are facing. I was eager to make money and acquire DJ equipment for myself. I have been in this line of business for up to 15 years, and throughout that time, I have been looking for ways to earn money and get equipment.
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“I bought the equipment for about ₦5 million. I had not started using it before I was arrested. I bought it in August. I feel very sorry for myself.”
Narrating how he perpetrated the crime, he said, “I found the restaurant through Google, contacted them, and if they had the goods, particularly liquor, they confirmed it. I then fabricated a receipt on my computer using the Paint app, sent it to them as proof of payment, and arranged for a dispatch rider to collect the goods.
“I said I would send a dispatch rider to pick it up, and they agreed. I sent the rider, who collected the goods. That is how I carried out the scheme.”
Also paraded was a suspect accused of killing a police officer in Ogun State, Kayode Johnson, also known as Baddoo.
Adejobi said the suspect was arrested on June 12, 2024.
He said, “The suspect confessed to being the gang leader of a group of armed robbers who operated in the Ikorodu/Ijebu-Ode axis. He stated that they took the policeman’s AK-47 rifle after killing him. The AK-47 rifle was later recovered from one of the gang members by the Lagos State Police Command.
“Upon his arrest, two locally made pistols, four live cartridges, and one cutter were recovered.”
Adejobi stated that, in recent months, police officers have arrested 295 armed robbery suspects, 186 suspected kidnappers, and 1,575 individuals for various other crimes.
He said, “Over the last month, the Nigeria Police Force has made significant achievements in the fight against crime, including violent crimes, recording the arrest of 295 armed robbery suspects, 186 kidnappers, 271 murder/homicide suspects, and 71 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms.
“The Force also arrested 199 suspects for sexual-related offences, 143 for cultism, and 1,575 for various other crimes. The total number of firearms recovered stands at 185, with 4,087 rounds of ammunition recovered, 111 vehicles recovered, and 129 kidnapped victims rescued.”
