A popular Nigerian prankster and social media influencer, Ubani Zion aka ZFancy, has been arrested by the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Centre for Cyber Crimes.
The prankster, it was gathered, was arrested around 11 a.m. on Wednesday in Abuja.
A top source at the centre told Punch that the prankster was arrested in connection with one of his pranks.
The official said, “Zfancy, the popular prankster, had just been arrested by our men a while ago.”
The prankster had been accused by some people on social media of being involved in rituals.
On June 16, 2024, an entertainer, Dami Adenuga, shared a video of a lady who called out Zfancy on his Twitter handle, formerly known as X.
“This Zfancy matter is looking very real. The Nigeria Police should intervene at this point,” Adenuga said.
In the video, the woman who identified herself as Kokina accused the prankster of being involved in ritualism while searching for her missing friend.
Adenuga’s post caught the attention of the Nigeria Police on X, who advised the woman in the shared clips to report to the nearest police station immediately.
The post read, “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We take allegations of this nature very seriously. Kindly advise your friend to immediately report at a police station nearest to her.
“You can also contact us immediately on our emergency lines to provide more details so we can initiate a thorough investigation. Your cooperation is essential to ensure a swift and accurate response. Thank you.”
When contacted, Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed his arrest. Adejobi said, “Yes. It’s in relation to a case of a wrong prank.”
Meanwhile, in a development on Thursday, a statement by Adejobi via X noted that the arrest follows the circulation of accusatory videos on social media, in which ZFancy was alleged to have committed heinous crimes, including rape. These videos caused significant apprehension among social media users.
The statement read, “The Nigeria Police Force, through the NPF National Cybercrime Centre, has arrested a Nigerian ‘prankster’, one Mr. Ubani Zion Chibuike (AKA ZFancy), at an apartment in Wuye, Abuja. This arrest follows the circulation of accusatory videos on social media, in which ZFancy was alleged to have committed heinous crimes, including rape. These videos caused significant apprehension among social media users.
“Furthermore, ZFancy came out and claimed the videos were scripted and part of his attempt to regain the spotlight after a break. Regardless, such actions have serious implications and can not be taken lightly. The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to maintaining public safety and ensuring that individuals are held accountable for actions that incite fear or disturb public peace.
“The Police therefore warns pranksters and content creators to be law-abiding and be conscious of pranks and contents that could pose threats to the public and jeopardise the general security of our country. We urge the public to remain calm as we proceed with the necessary legal actions in this case,” the statement added.
