Bauchi Police arrest 25-year-old Umar Yau, alias Snake, for impersonation and online fraud dating back to 2019. Over 40 victims defrauded

Bauchi State Police Command has arrested 25-year-old Umar Yau, widely known by the alias “Snake,” after a long-running investigation uncovered his involvement in widespread online fraud and identity theft operations that began in 2019.

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The arrest followed a formal petition by online entrepreneur Mrs. Fatimah Faiz Ali Bawahab, who accused the suspect of impersonating her on social media and scamming victims using her photos and identity.

The case intensified after multiple complaints linked fraudulent transactions to a bank account under the name Hansatu Yau.

In one reported incident from 2022, a victim, Nafiu Muhd, transferred funds to the suspect’s First Bank account before being blocked, prompting suspicions of a well-coordinated scam ring.

By early 2023, several individuals reached out to Mrs. Bawahab, claiming they were duped by someone using a fake Facebook account in her name. Investigations confirmed that payments from those incidents were traced to the same Hansatu Yau account.

Under orders from the Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, detectives from the CP Monitoring Unit launched a discreet digital operation to track the suspect. On 5 June 2025, they apprehended Umar Yau in the Yelwan Makaranta area of Bauchi.

A search of his belongings uncovered damning evidence: nine ATM cards from various banks, an FCMB account form fraudulently filled using his sister’s details, multiple SIM cards, three voter’s cards, a 4G MiFi device, and a smartphone box. Two plastic National Identification Number cards bearing his name were also recovered.

According to Police Public Relations Officer Ahmed Wakil, the suspect confessed to defrauding around 40 victims, some of whom were involved in cryptocurrency transactions. He admitted to creating multiple fake identities and bank accounts to lure unsuspecting victims into online deals.

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The case has now been transferred to the Kano State Police Command for further investigation and prosecution.