The Delta State Police Command said it has arrested some men posing as officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, using that guise to break into homes, kidnap and extort people.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Edafe, said that the arrest was made following a series of complaints received from members of the public, especially from the youths, alleging that EFCC operatives usually break into their houses at night, forcibly arrest them, take them away and extort huge sums of money from them, which partly gave rise to the “END EFCC” protest in Ughelli.
It will be recalled that the protest led to the burning of over 13 trucks and the destruction of property.
Edafe said: “The Command did not relent as intelligence gathered revealed that they may not be EFCC operatives as it is being alleged. On the 16th of November, 2023, the Command received another complaint from a victim (name withheld) whose house was stormed at night by the syndicate. They gained entrance into the compound by scaling the fence, breaking into his apartment, abducted and taking him away in a white Toyota Hiace bus. The victim further stated that on getting to the head bridge, the boundary between Delta and Anambra states, the officials collected his phones from him, and other valuables worth N3,700,000 made a cash transfer of N2,500,000 and told him that they would come for him again. Five other victims also reported to the Command and made statements of how they were robbed of about N15,000,000. It became clear that it is the activities of hoodlums pretending to be EFCC Operatives.”
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, directed the Command Decoy Squad to investigate and ensure that they were arrested and brought to book.
In compliance with this directive, on the 23rd of November, 2022, the Commander CP-Decoy ASP Julius Robinson, acting on credible information led operatives on a sting operation, trailed them to their hideout in a Hotel located in Asaba where they hibernate to plan their next operation and arrested five suspects.
Edafe identified the suspects as Prince Allison, 29, as the leader of the group, George Chisom Onyeweagu, 29, who handles POS machines for the group, Duke Okoro, 40, Joseph Osinachi, 23 and Onyocha Stanley, 32.
“The suspects have admitted to having robbed different victims from various parts of the State. They also stated that they sometimes lodged their victims in a hotel for days until they succeed in extorting huge sums of money from them or forcing them to transfer money into their mobile POS. Their white operational Hummer bus, two locally manufactured EFCC jackets, a POS machine and eight mobile phones were recovered from them. Also, six of their victims have identified them as the syndicate who broke into their houses under the guise of being EFCC Operatives. The CP, therefore, advised the public especially the youths to rethink before taking laws into their hands as some situations may have more to them than meets the eye. He assures residents in the State that justice will be served, and will ensure that the culprits are duly prosecuted.”
