Kehinde Ayanboade
THE Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,(EFCC) Ibadan zonal office on Friday arrested 19 suspected internet fraudsters at Ologuneru and Akobo areas, of Ibadan, Oyo State, and recovered several items including a female pant and fetish materials.
This was made known in a press statement by the Acting, Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Tony Orilade, a copy made available to journalists on Friday.
The arrest, according to Orilade was made possible in a sting operation led by the zonal head, Friday Ebelo, Ibadan zonal head.
Aside from the usual equipment associated with internet fraudsters, the EFCC operatives also recovered one female pant from the suspects arrested in Akobo area, Ibadan.
The Acting, Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Orilade said “the suspects who are between the ages of 21 and 35 years were taken by surprise when operatives swept on them at one of their notorious havens in the city. Five of them allegedly claimed to be undergraduates while the other 10 claimed to be self-employed in varied vocations.”
Their names were given as Bamidele Ayodele Samson, Bamidele Philip, Tunji Oladapo Sowale, Bololaji Olalekan and Abdulrauf Abiodun.
Others are: Olaleye Pelumi, Anuokuwapo Olanrewaju, Paul Damilola, Olateye David Tobi, Arewa Adekunle Ibrahim, Oyesanmi Ayomikun Oluwaseun, Olaleye Israel, Adediran Kemisola, Omobolade Alarape and Olowolusi Oluwatomisin.
The four other suspects arrested early hours of Friday, February 1, 2019 at their hideout at Akobo, Ibadan are, Babatunde Afeez, Akorede Ahmed Olalekan, Adeleye Damilola and Moshod Richard.
Orilade further stated that the suspects are “already helping operatives with useful information.”
The statement by Orilade further put it that “the Commission got wind of their activities following series of intelligence report, alleging that they engaged in various fraudulent activities ranging from obtaining money by false pretences through sending of scam emails to unsuspecting victims mostly in the United States of America, while others were engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.
“At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered four different models and brands of exotic cars, five laptops, 20 telephones (10 iPhones) and one small bag containing items suspected to be fetish objects (juju) from them. Several documents, including international passports, and debit cards were recovered from them.”
In a related development, operatives also arrested four other suspects on February 1, 2019, at their hideout at Akobo, Ibadan. The suspected cybercriminals are between 21 and 30 years.
Their arrest followed a series of intelligence alleging that the suspected fraudsters engaged in fraudulent activities of obtaining money by false pretences from unsuspecting victims.
Orilade further mentioned items recovered at the point of their arrest, as “SIM cards, one exotic car, laptops, telephones, female underwear’s and four bags of fetish objects (juju) from them. Several documents containing false pretences were also recovered from the suspects.”
He noted that the suspects will soon be charged to court.
