Some fake operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have been arrested in Delta State, the Police Command announced on Friday.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer for Delta, DSP Bright Edafe, the suspects were reported by members of the public, especially youths, for alleged break-ins, kidnappings and extortion of unsuspecting victims.
Edafe noted that these suspects extorted huge sums of money from their victims after several unathorised arrests.
According to reports, these atrocities birthed “End EFCC” protest in Ughelli that led to the burning of over 13 trucks and the destruction of properties sometimes ago.
He said, “the Command did not relent over the complaints, as intelligence gathered revealed that the perpetrators may not be EFCC operatives as it is being alleged.”
The PPRO stated that on November 16, 2022, the Command received another complaint from a victim (name withheld) whose house was stormed at night by the syndicate.
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According to the police spokesman, “Six of their victims have also identified them, one of their victims stated that his house was stormed at night by the syndicate.
“The syndicate gained entrance into the compound by scaling the fence, breaking into the apartment, and forcefully abducting and taking their target away in a white Toyota Hiace bus.”
“They forcefully collected his phones from him, other valuables worth three million, seven hundred thousand naira (N3,700,000), made a cash transfer of two million, five hundred thousand naira (N2,500,000) and told him that they will come for him again.”
The police noted that five other victims also reported to the Command and made statements of how they were robbed of about N15,000,000 and it then became clear to the police that it is the activities of hoodlums pretending to be EFCC operatives.
Consequently, the Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, directed the Command Decoy Squad to investigate the incident and ensure that the culprits are arrested and brought to book.
In compliance with this directive, on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, the Commander, CP-Decoy ASP Julius Robinson, acting on credible information led operatives on a sting operation, and trailed the suspects to their hideout in a Hotel located in Asaba, where they hibernate to plan their next operation and arrested five suspects.
Those nabbed comprised Prince Allison (29), resident in Port Harcourt and the leader of the syndicate claiming to be EFCC contract staff in Port-Harcourt; George Chisom Onyeweagu (29), resident in Owerri and he operates the POS that they use to forcefully withdraw money from their victim’s account; Duke Okoro (40) resident in Asaba, Delta State; Joseph Osinachi (23) resident in Lagos State; and Onyocha Stanley (32), resident in Owerri.
On interrogation, all the suspects admitted to having robbed different victims from various parts of the state. They also stated that they sometimes lodged their victims in a hotel for days until they succeed in extorting huge sums of money from them or forcing them to transfer money into their mobile POS.