Police arrest two suspected fraudsters, recover 36 ATM cards, 26 SIM cards, others

Police Intelligence Operatives, attached to the Niger State Police Command, who were on bank surveillance in Minna, that state capital have arrested two suspected fraudsters while allegedly loitering within the branch of a commercial bank premises in the city with the view to defraud some unsuspecting customers.

NAIJARAY reports that he suspects, identified as one Victor Okebugwu, ‘M’ aged 32 years of Tungan- Goro, Minna and his accomplice in crime, one James Amaonye, ‘M’, aged 33 years, of Korokpa, near Chanchaga bridge, on the outskirts of Minna.

This was made known in a crime bulletin signed by the image-maker of the state’s Police Command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun, a copy of which was made available to the newsmen on Tuesday in Minna.

The command stated that on June 5, 2020, at about 11 am, a team of Police Intelligence Operatives on Bank surveillance in Minna arrested the two suspects, when they were noticed to be loitering within the premises of a commercial bank in Minna in a suspicious manner.

The bulletin added that upon investigation by the police, it was revealed that the suspects specialise in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public under the pretence of opening bank accounts for them or to assist them in operating the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

ASP Wasiu Abiodun stated further that 33 pieces of GTBank ATM cards, two pieces of Access Bank ATM card, one Zenith Bank ATM card and seven pieces of MTN SIM cards were recovered from them.

Other items, according to the Police Public Relations Officer were nine pieces of 9mobile SIM cards, eight pieces of Airtel SIM cards, four pieces of GTBank account opening forms and 19 pieces of Airtel and 9mobile customer registration forms, as well as one Tecno black phone, one Infinix S5 phone and one motorcycle key.

He said, during interrogation, “the two suspects confessed to the crime and claimed that the cards were collected from their game betting customers for purpose of crediting their account with proceeds from the games, and later unlawfully withdraw their money.”

Meanwhile, he stated that the case was still under investigation by the police, stressing that the suspects shall be charged to court as soon as the investigation on the matter was concluded.