Operatives of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos, have arrested two employees of telecommunications giant, MTN, three bankers and six others for allegedly fleecing subscribers of over N150 million.
Chukwunonso Ifeanyi (30) and Okpetu John (29), who both confirmed they were MTN employees, were paraded alongside the bankers- Oyelade Shola (32), Osuolale Hammid (40) and Akeem Adesina (33) by the spokesman for the SFU, Lawal Audu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
Others were an ICT specialist, Salako Abdulsalam (30), a Pastor, James Idagu (56), Sarumi Abubakar, Ismaeel Salami (49), Akinola Oghuan (34) and Sunday Okeke (33).
The suspects were arrested in Lagos, Oyo and Kwara States, with several Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards belonging to unsuspecting Nigerians, whose accounts were used to divert money belonging to those they fleeced.
According to the police, the suspects belonged to a syndicate that specialised in defrauding bank customers, who do not do Internet banking.
It was gathered that while the bankers supplied the details of customers with funded accounts to the gang, the MTN workers ensured that the victims’ mobile numbers, as well as those of people they had their ATMs were swapped for the duration of the crime.
According to Audu, blocking the numbers enabled the syndicate to fleece their victims, diverted the money into accounts they had ATM cards/pin and hurriedly withdrew them.
He said: “The suspects transferred the money siphoned into about 40 other accounts with ATM in different banks. They carried out their operations at weekends and public holidays to avoid being detected by the bank monitoring mechanisms or the owners of targeted funded accounts.
“The effort of the police team eventually paid off when the same group was holding their final meeting at Domino Pizza eatery along Bode Thomas Street, Surulere, on plan to unleash another monumental fraud on unsuspecting customers.
“Their plan was to defraud another new generation bank between May 26 and 29. Detectives stormed the venue during which one of the major kingpin claimed to be Alhaji Ismaeel Salami and four members of the syndicate were arrested.”
from the Nation
A pastor too?
ReplyDeleteOh well
The ministry is moving
@Anonymous Orubebe
If you want to do business with someone and the person introduces a pastor to you, my dear na SCAM. Or they start talking about God or Jesus, pls run as fast as your legs can carry you.
DeleteLol... They know some Nigerians are so gullible.. .once they hear pastor, they become literally stupid
Delete@Anonymous Orubebe
Criminals everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI have read a sis story of how her money was diverted.
It's just sad that people are too desperate to be rich.
Foolish boys
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of fraud and thiefery I like. See how they spread across all the major tribes. Wa zo bia. Now no idiot can come and say Omo IBO, Yoruba demon or Hausa bambiala. Now we can see with our two eyes that Nigerians are just thieves lol
DeleteI have given up on Nigeria,the crime rate is too high,the heart of many people are desperately wicked
ReplyDeleteCooperate thieves.....
ReplyDeleteDon't even want to start with MTN and their wickedness in high places! Thieves!
ReplyDeleteWetin concern MTN na?, These MTN staff Na our Nigerian brothers who betrayed their employers and customers.
DeleteThe bastards should be jailed for as long as it's legally possible and all stolen funds recovered.
They have good jobs but allowed greed to get the better of them
I'm speachless. Well don Nigerian police.
ReplyDeleteThis is too bad for their organization
ReplyDeleteEnd time pastor, things are really happening, I know without the help of an IT people in the bank most fraud will not go through.
ReplyDeleteGreed won't just let most Nigerian youths be great. Always thinking of wicked ways to make money. Strict laws should be put in place abeg.
ReplyDeleteStella why didnt you mention the names of the banks the suspects operated from? You mentioned only MTN and saved the banks from embarrassment abi? Why? You are being biased naw. If you wanted to protect the banks then you shouldn't have mentioned the telecomm's name.
ReplyDelete