By Ummi Ismaeel, Minna
The police in Niger State have arrested a14-member internet fraudsters who specialize in defrauding their victims and invested the proceeds in a Boutique valued about N4 million in Minna, the state capital.
The gang, which came into being in 2019, included two ladies. It also has a Lexus jeep, which members use in carrying out their nefarious activities until trouble broke out between two members of the gang.
It has been smooth operations for the suspects, Amos Sheriff, aged 27; Omokhafe Nelson, 28; Amos Suleiman, 23; Uduafemhi John, 23; Sado Anthony, 26; Okumagbe Sheriff, 24; and Chukwu Joshua, 23; until when one of them stole the phone belonging to another.
Other members are Peter Moses 25; Abdulrasheed Malik, 24; Isah Lawal, 24; Thomas Marvelous, 19; Aigbona Gift (female) 24; all of Edo State, while Thomas Daniel 24, and Braise Williams, the two females 24, are both from Kogi State.
Trouble is said to have started for the gang when one of them, Thomas Daniel, visited the house of another member, Amos Sheriff, and stole his android phone.
Amos Sheriff, it was gathered, soon discovered that his phone was missing shortly after his partner in crime, Thomas Daniel, left his house and quickly raised the alarm, asking Thomas to return the phone else there would be trouble.
Thomas was said to have initially denied knowledge of the missing phone.
Arguments between the two further degenerated into exchange of banters prompting neighbours to invite the police and subsequently arrested the two.
The confessional statements made by the two partners in crime led to the arrest of the remaining members of the gang from different parts of Minna, the state capital, and recovered some operational items from them, including a Lexus RS 350 jeep valued at N3.8 million.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger State command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrest of the gang members in Minna, explaining that the fraudsters were arrested based on credible information received from members of the public.
Abiodun said that the suspects were arrested around Farm Centre area of Minna, when Thomas Daniel allegedly stole an iphone belonging to one of the gang members, Amos Sheriff, after a visit, while an alarm was raised and he was subsequently arrested.
According to the PPRO, “Preliminary investigations revealed that both Omokhafe Nelson and Amos Sheriff jointly rented a two-flat apartment at the rate of N2.5 million, where about twelve of the suspects live together and converge with their friends”.
During interrogations, Sheriff and Nelson confessed to have engaged in internet fraud since 2019 and had embarked on coaching /training nine other suspects for same exercise in the past two years.
“They also told us how they have realized over N12 million from different victims through fake Bitcoin investment chat, bought a Lexus RS 350 they use in some of their operations at the rate of N3.8 million.”
The PPRO, who told journalists that the case was still being investigated, gave details of items recovered from the gang to include; three iPhones, one HP laptop, six Tecno phones, Eleven laptop chargers, Shisha box containing smoking gadgets.