Police parade fraudsters for duping Rev. Sis of N1.4m

The police said the gang of fraudsters, whose operation style is popularly known as ‘one chance,’ specialised in duping unsuspecting commuters of their money and other valuables while playing on their psyche.

According to the police, the nabbed syndicate usually operates in a taxi cab with some of its members pretending to be passengers or planted at strategic bus stops to help deceive unsuspecting passengers.They would make empty promises of sudden wealth, if victims would partner in a business deal.

Parading the suspects, the Commissioner of Police, Bala Hassan, said the victim was heading for American Quarters at Umudike, near Umuahia, when she boarded the evil taxi, but "ended up seeing herself at Ntigha Okpuala in Isialangwa South Council Area, after being allegedly hypnotised".

She was asked to deposit the said money by the gang who promised to introduce her to a business deal that would earn her great dividends only to realise though belatedly, that she has been duped.

When it became obvious she was dealing with dubious characters, she quickly alerted the police who stormed the place and picked up three of the hoodlums while others fled.

One of the suspects, Uluoma Alozie, 38, claimed they were not robbers but only earning their living through "game" (gambling).

Alozie said their victims ‘’are all greedy people’’ and had no moral justification to cry foul as they (victims) succumbed to their tricks to get rich quick. He dismissed claims that they were "charmed".

He said that the Rev Sister fell victim to their game plan because she was greedy and wanted to make more money.

However, another member of the gang, Miss Nwakaego Benson, 25, confessed but begged for pardon while blaming it all on the devil and the need to make ends meet.

Benson said the operation was her first outing and explained she decided to join the gang as a last resort following the hardship that engulfed her after her textile business packed up.

Paraded also was a five-man gang of suspected robbers arrested at Umuikaa, also in Isialangwa. The police, acting on a tip off, raided their hideout as they were allegedly ‘’ planning to assassinate an innocent citizen of the state for a cash of N1.6 million’’.

The gang, according to police, was responsible for several robbery and assassination incidents in some parts of the state in recent times.

The police also paraded the ring leader of another robbery gang who attacked one Corporal Coleman Obilor attached to Police College Oji River Aba, and disposed him of his GSM set and a sum of N3000.

The police boss, Hassan, used the occasion to restate the commitment of his men to make the state uninhabitable for criminal elements. He solicited the continued cooperation of members of the public through volunteering of useful information that could help track down hoodlums.