The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Office has arrested thirty-four suspected internet fraudsters at 21, Sawmill Road Awa-Ijebu, Ogun state.
The suspected cyber criminals who are between 19 and 37 years of age include: twenty-three students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, out of which nine were ladies who allegedly claimed to be girlfriends and or neighbours of some of the suspects; one from the National Open University of Nigeria and twelve others are non-students.
The Commission got wind of their activities through series of intelligence alleging that the suspected fraudsters engaged in fraudulent activities of obtaining money by false pretences through sending emails to unsuspecting victims mostly in the United States of America while others were engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.
At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered over three hundred SIM cards from them. Other items recovered from the suspects include: different models and brands of exotic cars, 18 laptops (nine being of Apple brand), 50 telephones (21 iphones) and two bags of fetish objects (juju) from them. Several documents containing false pretences were also recovered from the suspects.
Suspects would be charged to court accordingly as soon as investigation is concluded.
Will be glad to get notifications.
There is no society that is immune to crime and criminality, but one thing that sets Nigeria apart from the rest is the people’s mind-set and penchant to worshiping ostentatious lifestyle, and the promotion of men and women of dubious and questionable characters. It is a society where your dubious enrichment and wealth would catapult you to frivolous titles of chief, high chief, sir, Dr. Nze and sir and all other jaw-breaking titles. Is it surprising therefore that these so call “undergraduates” have taken the dubious easy way to get recognition by specializing in cyber-crimes. These low-life miscreants would be the first to tell the hard-working ones how useless they are and how they would not make it in life. Their criminality would be tactically being aided and abetted by a society that would be literally dropping on their feet for their ill-gotten wealth without questioning the source. How can your son who is in the university be in possession of N30 m worth of exotic car? He has already completed state -of-the art mansion in a choice part of the city, while still in “first year” in the “university” “God has buttered his bread and he is really a good boy”.
I do hope now that the EFCC can move fast and prosecute these alleged baby criminals and those found guilty be sent behind bars for a lengthy period of time. They should not be allowed to benefit from the proceeds of their criminality. The law must set a deterrent to all other baby 419ers that crime does not pay. It should not take the EFCC another one year for this case to be dispensed of.