BY Samuel Ogude(Warri)
Delta State Police Command has arrested five fake officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC). The suspects are identified as Prince Allison “m” age 29 years, George Chisom Onyeweagu “m” 29 years, Duke Okoro “m” age 40 years, Joseph Osinachi “m” age 23 years, and Onyocha Stanley “m” age 32 years. The suspects who live in different parts of the country engaged in different criminal activities such as using POS machine to forcefully withdraw money from victims’ accounts, among others.
In press statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe said, due to series of complaints from members of the public especially the youths alleging that EFCC Operatives usually break into their houses at night, forcefully arrest them, take them away and extort huge sums of money from them, the action which partly caused “END EFCC” protest in Ughelli that led to the burning of thirteen trucks and the destruction of property made the police go into action. The statement added that the one that is so conspicuous was the one of the 16th November,2022 where the Command received a complaint from a victim(name withheld) whose home was stormed in the night by the syndicate, gained entrance into the compound and forcefully abducted him and took him away in a Toyota Hiance bus. The statement added that, the victim was robbed of phone and valuables worth the sum of three million, seven thousand naira( N3,700,000) just as he was forced to make a cash transfer of two million, five hundred thousand naira (N2,500,000) to suspects’ account, among others.
The statement said, the Commissioner of Police C P Ari Muhammed FCIA PSC+ has to direct the Command and Decoy Squad to investigate adding, going by this directives, on the 23rd November,2022, the Commander CP Decoy , ASP Julius Robison, acting on credible information led his team and trailed the suspects in their hideout in a hotel in Asaba and arrested them. Part of the statement reads:”Following series of complaints received from members of the public especially from the youths that EFCC Operatives usually break into their homes at night… on the 16/11/2022 the Command received complaint from a victim whose house was stormed at night by the syndicate… consequently the Commissioner of Police CP Ari Muhammed Alli FCIAPSC+ directed the command to investigate, ensure they are arrested and brought to the book..”
According to the statement, the suspects have admitted to have robbed different victims in different parts of the state as they sometimes lodge their victims in a hotel for days until they succeed in extorting huge amount of money from them through their POS. The statement added that, the items recovered from them are white operational hummer bus, two locally manufactured EFCC jackets, a POS machine and eight mobile phones.
The statement added that so far, six victims have identified them to be the ones who broke into their houses under the guise of EFCC operatives. The CP therefore advised the public, especially the youths, not to take the laws into their hands as some situation may not what it is. The CP assured the residents in the state that justice would be done as the culprits would face the wrath of the law.