The Delta State Police Command has uncovered a cybercrime case involving a 17-year-old boy who allegedly hacked into the WhatsApp accounts of celebrities and sold explicit materials to fellow students.
The Divisional Police Officer of Ugborikoko Division in Uvwie Local Government Area, Temi Agbede-Zuokumor, disclosed this in a video shared during a security awareness programme with comedian Otaghware Onodjayeke, popularly known as I Go Save.
Agbede-Zuokumor said the incident came to light after a routine inspection of a student’s mobile phone raised suspicion.
According to her, the student’s mother initially claimed the device belonged to his sister, but further checks contradicted the explanation.
“The woman looked very modest, so I asked her if she was from Deeper Life. She said no. I then asked why her son took a phone to school, and she claimed it belonged to his sister,” she said.
She explained that her suspicion prompted officers to inspect the phone.
“Something told me to check the phone. When we did, we discovered that everything on the device belonged to the boy,” she added.
The police officer revealed that the device contained numerous explicit materials and more than 80 foreign contacts, including Australian phone numbers.
“We saw several foreign numbers, over 80 Australian lines, and the phone was filled with pornographic content,” she said.
She added that chats on the phone suggested the teenager had been selling explicit materials to classmates.
“We also saw chats with his classmates asking if he had explicit content to sell. They were calling him ‘boss’ in school,” Agbede-Zuokumor said.
Alleged Hacking Of Celebrities’ Accounts
According to the DPO, investigations showed that the suspect had hacked into WhatsApp accounts belonging to prominent individuals and used them to request money from unsuspecting victims.
“We discovered he had access to WhatsApp accounts of some celebrities, which he used to demand money from unsuspecting victims,” she said.
During the programme, comedian I Go Save shared a similar experience, recalling how a suspected fraudster once contacted him while impersonating American billionaire, Elon Musk.
“That was how someone impersonating Elon Musk messaged me, saying he was stranded and needed a recharge card,” he said.
“I was surprised and asked which network he used. The person later sent an Opay account,” he added.
The police warned parents and school authorities to be more vigilant, noting the increasing sophistication of cyber-related crimes among young people.
They urged families and educators to monitor children’s online activities and promote responsible use of digital devices.
