A recent investigation has revealed a troubling connection between Nigerian police officer Victor Okeshola and international fraud suspect Precious Chiradza. Chiradza, a Zimbabwean national, is accused of defrauding Nigerians of over N1 billion through a fraudulent company, QZ Assets Management. She faces seven criminal charges alongside her South African associates in a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Notably, Okeshola, affiliated with the National Cybercrime Centre (NCC), was the lead investigator into Chiradza’s activities in Nigeria. However, reports indicate that he facilitated her escape from the country, allegedly accepting substantial bribes in the process.
Further findings suggest that Chiradza, also known as Pria and reportedly an HIV patient, is now pregnant with Okeshola’s child. She is also seeking a divorce from her Nigerian husband, who resides in South Africa.
Sources indicate that Okeshola, with assistance from police prosecutors, arranged for fake sureties to meet Chiradza’s bail conditions after her remand by Justice James Kolawole Omotosho in case No. FHC/ABJ/CR/430/2023.
The charges against Chiradza and her co-defendants include conspiracy to commit fraud and obtaining money under false pretenses through a fraudulent investment scheme named QZ Asset Management Company. They allegedly defrauded individuals of substantial sums, including $300,000 from Onyia Ogochukwu and $44,000 from Chinagorom Uchechi, totaling over N1 billion.
The situation escalated when the suspects were arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following a petition by victims who had invested over N1 billion in their company, only for the suspects to abscond with the funds. They were subsequently transferred to the NCC for investigation and prosecution under the directive of Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun in 2023.
During the investigation, the NCC team, led by Okeshola, discovered over $1 million in Chiradza’s account. To hinder the investigation, Chiradza allegedly offered N5 million in bribes to NCC officials to omit these findings from their report. Other officers reportedly received bribes in dollars, including the Investigating Police Officer (IPO).
While in NCC custody, Okeshola arranged for the suspects to spend nights in a police station cell in Abuja. Each evening, they were taken there, only to be returned to NCC headquarters the following morning. Investigations revealed that Chiradza would feign illness at night, prompting Okeshola to take her to a hospital, but instead, they would spend the night together in a hotel. Consequently, Chiradza never actually stayed in the cell during her custody.
Insider sources disclosed that during this period, Chiradza struck a deal with Okeshola, allegedly paying thousands of dollars to senior police officers handling the case at NCC to ease her situation. With the petitioners financially drained and the suspects willing to negotiate, the police investigation team intensified efforts to destroy evidence, ultimately ensuring all suspects were cleared of any wrongdoing.
A letter obtained by Chronicles Reporters, addressed to the Director/Head of the Nigeria Police Force-National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), titled “Notice of compromise by the investigative and prosecuting team a request for immediate intervention and change of team to preserve the cause of Justice,” revealed that the police prosecution officer secretly applied to court to withdraw the case after facilitating the escape of Chiradza and co-defendant Gugu Manana.
The petition, dated December 3, 2024, included pictorial and video evidence showing Okeshola and Chiradza together outside the country. It highlighted the compromise by the investigative officer, noting that Okeshola aided the suspects in violating bail terms and traveling outside Nigeria, engaging in a public romantic relationship with Chiradza.
Despite the detailed petition, which included evidentiary pictures and videos, Chronicles Reporters learned that the Director/Head of NCC did not act on the petition due to the involvement of senior police officers in the scandal.
Further investigation revealed that when Justice Omotosho rejected the application seeking the withdrawal of the charge before the court, the prosecutor and IPO sought the intervention of the Ministry of Justice to take over and withdraw the charge. Okeshola allegedly paid some staff of the ministry N50 million on behalf of Chiradza to facilitate this.
Efforts to reach Okeshola for his reaction were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to text messages seeking his comments on his alleged involvement in the disappearance of the two criminal suspects facing prosecution in Nigeria.
Attempts to speak with the Force Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, were also unsuccessful, as he did not take calls or respond to text messages seeking his comments.
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