The Bauchi State Police Command has apprehended 25-year-old Umar Yau, alias “Snake,” a suspected cybercriminal linked to online fraud and identity theft since 2019. The arrest followed a sophisticated investigation triggered by a complaint from businesswoman Mrs. Fatimah Faiz Ali Bawahab, who reported impersonation and scams using her name and photos.
The suspect allegedly defrauded victims through fake Facebook accounts and fraudulent bank details. In 2022, Nafiu Muhd reported being scammed after transferring money to a First Bank account under the name Hansatu Yau, after which he was blocked. By early 2023, multiple victims contacted Mrs. Bawahab, reporting similar frauds tied to the same account, confirming a coordinated scam pattern.
On June 5, 2025, detectives from the CP Monitoring Unit, under the directive of Commissioner of Police CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, arrested Yau in Bauchi’s Yelwan Makaranta area. Items recovered included:
– 9 ATM cards from various banks
– An FCMB account opening form was fraudulently completed using his sister Maryam Yau’s details and academic documents
– 2 NIN plastic cards with the suspect’s information
– 3 Voter’s cards with the suspect’s details
– 3 new SIM cards from different telecom providers
– 1 ZTE Universal Mobile 4G MiFi device
– 1 Infinix Smart 9 smartphone box
Police spokesman Ahmed Wakil stated that Yau confessed to defrauding approximately 40 victims, including in cryptocurrency scams, using fake bank accounts and aliases. The case has been transferred to the Kano State Police Command for further investigation and prosecution.
