The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has continued in its resolve to reduce the menace of internet crimes popularly known as yahoo-yahoo. To this end, on Thursday, the agency raided two residential buildings at Maryland, Enugu where twenty Eight (28) suspected fraudsters were arrested.
The arrests followed some intelligence obtained by the Commission regarding activities of some people living ostentatiously without any known means of livelihood. They were alleged to have specialized in defrauding many unsuspecting victims (within and outside the country) of huge sums of money through their nefarious operations.
In the course of executing search at the residences of the suspects, many of them, including a female suspect, attempted destroying some phones found on them, as the female suspect was caught flushing a broken Iphone down the toilet. The phone was, however, recovered.
Some items which were confiscated during the raid include: four Apple Macbook, Two Iphone, Xmax and other HP laptop computers.
Other items include: Two Toyota Camry, four Toyota Corolla and one Mercedez Benz GL450 cars.
In a related development, the agency’s Lagos Zonal Office, has arrested 18 suspected internet fraudsters in the Alagbado area of the state.
The suspects are: Abass Mukhtar, Enitan Adekunle, Olakunle Araoyinbo, Korede Adetule, Christmas Gabriel, Christmas Yole, Christmas Emmanuel and Harrison Obayogbono.
Others are: Victor Kenneth, Adewale Musibau, Oluwajuwon Shofuyi, Idris Abdulazeez, Oyeku Adeoye, Omilana Adeleke, Okeke Chucks, Peters Olamide, Abayomi Jones and Usman Olalekan.
The suspects were arrested during a sting operation in the early hours of Friday, September 27, 2019 at three different locations in the area.
This followed intelligence reports received by the Commission from concerned members of the public about their alleged involvement in criminal activities.
During the raid, about five of the suspects attempted to escape arrest by taking refuge inside the ceiling of their apartments. They were, however, immediately apprehended by operatives of the EFCC.
Items recovered from the suspects at the point of arrest include charms, phones, laptops and five cars including Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry 2004 model, Toyota Camry 2007 model, Toyota Camry 1999 model and Honda Pilot.
Also the Abuja Zonal office of EFCC on Tuesday September 24, 2019 raided the residences of suspected internet fraudsters at No 5 Arbe Saibra Dantata Estate Kubwa, Abuja.
The operation was triggered by intelligence regarding the activities of the suspects who were placed under close surveillance for weeks.
The suspects arrested are Aifuwa Aisosa, Desmond Imasuen, Usman Malik, Odiesen Ken, Odiase Emmanuel and Aifuwa Henry.
Some of the items recovered from the suspects include mobile phones, laptop computers, and a Mercedes C350.
In the same vein, on Thursday the Abuja office arrested yet another cybercrime suspect, Mbaeri Anselm Chukwuma at David Estate, Gwarimpa. Items recovered from him include a Toyota Rav4, 2 laptops, 2 phones and a Pump Action Rifle with 2 Cartridges.
The agency says all suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
The suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
