The Niger State Police command has arrested three persons, including a dismissed police officer, that re-employed himself by setting up a toll-collecting checkpoint.
Two other suspects were arrested for ‘loitering’ within the premises of a commercial bank in Minna metropolis.
ASP Wasiu Abiodun, Command Public Relation Officer (PPRO), disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Abiodun said Police Intelligence Operatives on Bank surveillance in Minna arrested Victor Okebugwu, 32 and James Amaonye 33 years old.
He explained that the two suspects were noticed to be loitering within the premises of a Commercial Bank in Minna in a very suspicious manner.
Investigation revealed that the suspects specialised in defrauding members of the public under the guise of helping to open bank accounts or operating ATM.
Police found on them 33 pieces of GT Bank ATM cards, 2 Access Bank ATM card, 1 Zenith Bank ATM card, 7 pieces of MTN Sim cards and 9 pieces of 9 mobile Sim cards.
Others items recovered from them are 8 pieces of Airtel Sim cards, 4 pieces of GT bank account opening forms, 19 pieces of Airtel and 9 mobile customer registration forms, 1 Tecno black phone, 1 Infinix S5 phone and 1 Motorcycle key.
“During interrogation, suspects claimed that the cards were collected from their game betting customers for purpose of crediting their account of proceeds from the games, and later unlawfully withdraw their money”, Abiodun said.
On 6 June at about 1000 hours, Police detectives led by DPO Gawu Babangida Division while on patrol along Boyi-Sarkin Daku Road, Gurara LGA discovered an illegal check point.
Manning the checkpoint was a fake inspector of Police later identified as Usman Yohanna.
He is 45 years old of Television area, Kaduna State.
His accomplices are still at large, the police said.
“The suspect claimed that he is a Police officer attached to Federal SARS Abuja.
Investigation revealed that the said inspector was dismissed from service as sergeant on February 2019 at Sabon Tasha Division Kaduna state command.
The suspect arranged the check point to extort unsuspecting members of the public.
The suspect confessed to the crime, exhibits recovered include a complete set of Police Camouflage, case will soon be charge to court. – The News.
We thank God, it was only check point. They have not graduated into kidnapping and armed robbery.