29th May, 2017
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
A 22-year old 300-level Accounting student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma who identified herself as Benedicta Otaigbe, has been arrested by the anti-fraud unit of the Edo State Police Command.
She was among 48 suspects arrested by the police command for various offences ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, fraud, cultism and were paraded to journalists at the police headquarters in Benin.
The suspects were paraded shortly after operatives of the command engaged in Operation Show of Force, to demonstrate their readiness to protect lives and properties of Edo residents.
She claimed to have given her account number and Bank Verification Number (BVN), to one Eromosele Anaho, who conspired with others now at large, to defraud unsuspecting bank customers.
Benedicta admitted receiving N20, 000 as commission from the N100,000.00 they defrauded a bank customer.
Her alleged partner in crime, Mr Eromosele Anaho, who claimed to have just written the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), said they are neigbours and she provided her account number for the deal.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Haliru Gwandu, who paraded the suspects, said they were apprehended at different locations in the state following tip offs and discreet investigations.
Among those paraded were 13 suspected kidnappers, nine suspected armed robbers, 10 cultists and 16 persons said to be fraudsters.
Gwandu disclosed that the fraud suspects were members of syndicates specialized in defrauding unsuspecting bank customers by sending bogus SMS reguesting for accounts details to unblock their accounts.
Among the suspected cultists were Okwedi Jude, a 19-year old student of Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe, who admitted being a member of Vikins confraternity.
A 30-year-old cab driver, Ebere Nwachwukwu, also admitted being a member of Eiye confraternity.
Also arrested were some persons alleged to have conspired and defrauded a palm oil company operating in the state of several millions of naira.
Gwandu who assured members of the public of adequate security, however solicited for information that would assist the police, adding that those paraded would be charged to court at the completion of investigations.