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| AFP / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images) |
A 42-year-old fraud kingpin has narrated how discontentment pushed him into joining a clique of fraudsters three years ago. For the suspect, Osuji Chibuzor, who is the leader of a four-man fraud syndicate operating in Ikeja, Ojota, Ojodu, Berger, Ogba, College Road and Agege areas of Lagos State, it was simply a bad business gone awry.
He was lured into the waiting hands of police detectives after his team had successfully swindled a 34-year-old lady of N165,000. The suspect, whose role in the gang was to prophesy to victims after he or she must have been lured into their offices at 8, Afolabi Street, Iju Shaga and 7, Salami Street, Oko Oba, Agege, disclosed that his gang used fake dollars to entrap their victims.
Osuji explained that his team members, comprising one Frank, Stella and Emeka drive out daily to lure suspects, who they would have tricked into their dollar-making scam. He added that after luring the victim to their office, he is invited as a pastor to pray for the victim.
He noted that it is in the process of praying for the victim that he would start requesting for money for anointing oil, chemicals for the washing of the money and other charges.
“Although there are many gangs that co-operate with us, but I only have four members in my own gang. What I collected from the victim was N120,000. I know my colleagues withdrew N45,000 from her ATM. I am ready to pay all the money back.”
The victim, who did not want her name in print, said she boarded a private taxi in Ojota to Ojodu Berger. “We were still in Oregun when the driver picked another passenger. It was at this point they started their trick on me.
“I ended up in their office in Iju, where they collected all the money on me including the one in my account. They made me swear to an oath never to inform anyone. Thereafter, Osuji requested that I go get another N60,000 to complete the ritual.
“After collecting N165,000, they still wouldn’t let me rest. I borrowed N60,000 being the balance of what they needed. I was on the way to hand it over to them when I regained my consciousness. Luckily for me, with the assistance of a patrol team of RRS men, I was able to lure him out and got him arrested,” she said.
Reacting to the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, has directed the police to clean every part of the state especially the black spots. He further directed that the case be transferred while all the gang members are arrested immediately.
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He was lured into the waiting hands of police detectives after his team had successfully swindled a 34-year-old lady of N165,000. The suspect, whose role in the gang was to prophesy to victims after he or she must have been lured into their offices at 8, Afolabi Street, Iju Shaga and 7, Salami Street, Oko Oba, Agege, disclosed that his gang used fake dollars to entrap their victims.
Osuji explained that his team members, comprising one Frank, Stella and Emeka drive out daily to lure suspects, who they would have tricked into their dollar-making scam. He added that after luring the victim to their office, he is invited as a pastor to pray for the victim.
He noted that it is in the process of praying for the victim that he would start requesting for money for anointing oil, chemicals for the washing of the money and other charges.
“Although there are many gangs that co-operate with us, but I only have four members in my own gang. What I collected from the victim was N120,000. I know my colleagues withdrew N45,000 from her ATM. I am ready to pay all the money back.”
The victim, who did not want her name in print, said she boarded a private taxi in Ojota to Ojodu Berger. “We were still in Oregun when the driver picked another passenger. It was at this point they started their trick on me.
“I ended up in their office in Iju, where they collected all the money on me including the one in my account. They made me swear to an oath never to inform anyone. Thereafter, Osuji requested that I go get another N60,000 to complete the ritual.
“After collecting N165,000, they still wouldn’t let me rest. I borrowed N60,000 being the balance of what they needed. I was on the way to hand it over to them when I regained my consciousness. Luckily for me, with the assistance of a patrol team of RRS men, I was able to lure him out and got him arrested,” she said.
Reacting to the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, has directed the police to clean every part of the state especially the black spots. He further directed that the case be transferred while all the gang members are arrested immediately.
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