The Bauchi State Police Command has announced the successful arrest of a 25-year-old cybercrime suspect, Umar Ya’u, popularly known as “Snake.”
Umar Ya’u, a resident of Yelwan Makaranta was arrested as a result of an extensive investigation initiated by a petition lodged by Mrs Fatimah Faiz Ali Bawahab, an online businesswoman.
The petition outlined a series of fraudulent activities attributed to an individual utilising a deceptive online identity and operating two bank accounts.
In March 2022, one Nafiu Muhd alerted the complainant, Mrs Bawahab, regarding an individual using the Facebook username “Amizeebaby Muhd.”
The suspect was advertising an online business and soliciting payments to a First Bank account registered in the name of Hansatu Yau.
Following the payment made by Mr Muhd, he was subsequently blocked from further communication, leading to suspicions that the accused employed multiple accounts to facilitate these fraudulent transactions, including First Bank (Hansatu Yau), PalmPay, and Momo Payment Service Bank (Umar Yau).
Subsequent incidents emerged in early 2023 when various individuals informed Mrs Bawahab that a Facebook account impersonating her — using her name and photographs — had been created.
This account was reported to have actively defrauded innocent individuals online through payments directed to the same First Bank account named Hansatu Yau.
The fraudulent demands persisted until the victims contacted Mrs Bawahab for verification, at which point they realised they had fallen victim to a scam.
It became evident that Mrs Bawahab was being impersonated by an unknown perpetrator to execute these fraudulent activities.
In an effort to identify the individual responsible, Mrs Bawahab engaged with the unknown person, who insisted upon receiving payments through the previously identified fraudulent bank accounts.
Upon receipt of the petition, the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Police Command, directed the CP Monitoring Unit to conduct a thorough and discreet investigation.
On June 5, 2025, at about 21:00 hours, detectives employed technology-driven investigative techniques, successfully identifying Umar Yau as the individual behind the Facebook account “amizeebabymuhd.”
Investigation results indicated that Umar Yau had been engaged in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public online since 2019 through numerous accounts, including First Bank and PalmPay, registered under the names Yau Hansatu and Umar Yau.
During the arrest, the detectives recovered several items from the suspect, including nine ATM cards from various banks, alongside a completed FCMB account opening form that was filled out without the consent of his sister, Maryam Yau, along with her academic documents.
Others include two National Identification Number plastic cards bearing the suspect’s information, three voter’s cards reflecting the suspect’s details, and three new SIM cards from different telecommunications providers.
The rest are one ZTE Universal theyMobile 4G MiFi device and one Infinix Smart 9 smartphone box.
During interrogation, Umar Yau confessed to his extensive experience in fraud, spanning five years.
He further acknowledged extending his criminal activities to cryptocurrency, where he reportedly defrauded approximately 40 victims of their funds through various marketing schemes.
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The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to combatting cybercrime and cautioned the public against engaging in deceptive and criminal behaviours, underscoring that the law will not be lenient on offenders.
Following a preliminary investigation, the Bauchi State Police Command has officially transferred the case and the suspect to the Kano State Police Command for continued investigation and potential prosecution for the established offences, according to CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO).
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