EDO STATE – In a significant breakthrough, the Edo State Police Command has apprehended five individuals suspected of defrauding a student from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
GOOD EVENING NIGERIA learnt that the suspects are part of a larger group of 51 alleged cultists, notorious for terrorizing residents of Benin City.
According to a report by Channels Television, the victim fell prey to the fraudsters after being hypnotized by them. Under their influence, she was coerced into transferring a substantial sum of money from her account.
The suspects were arrested by the Edo State Police Command after hypnotising the 21-year-old victim, the police spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, said on Friday.
“We made a notable achievement of arresting a total of 51 suspects, cultists. Amongst this number were five armed robbers and at the same time fraudsters,” Nwabuzor said.
“These five suspects defrauded a female student of the Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, aged 21 years old, of a total amount of N9.8 million.
“On that said day, the suspects met her on the way and tried to get information from her. While she was trying to do that (give them information), one of them touched her and she was no longer herself.
“She was hypnotised and they took her phone, took all the information relating to her account details and went away with the phone. A total sum of N9.8 million was withdrawn from that account.”
He said the funds in question were recently inherited by the victim following the passing of her father, making her the rightful beneficiary as the eldest child.
Upon learning of the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Dankwara, promptly ordered the Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit’s tactical team from the Edo State Police Command to launch a thorough investigation into the matter
“While the investigation was going on, they were able to track the suspects down. They were arrested between the 9th and 10th of July, 2023.
“As we speak, they have made statements, confessed to the crime, and sooner or later, they will be arraigned in court,” the police spokesman added.