Two fraudsters in police net
Two members of a gang of fraudsters who specialise in using charms to induce their victims have been nabbed by men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the State Police Command.
The suspects belong to a syndicate alleged to have been defrauding unsuspecting members of the public around Lekki – Ajah Expressway and other parts of Lagos state.
The suspects, Ojo Dauda (30) and Segun Olatoye (36), were arrested on Monday about 13:00 hrs, one week after swindling 28-year-old Abayomi Ayoola, on the same expressway.
Narrating how he fell victim to the fraudsters, Abayomi said: “I dropped the wife of my boss in her shop at a plaza in New Road on Thursday, March 26th 2016, and she sent me to the bank to deposit certain amount of money.
“On my way from the bank, one of the suspects accosted me and asked if I knew one man called Baba Ijebu, and I told him no. Another guy suddenly appeared from nowhere and joined him. I later got to know that they work together.
“In fact, I don’t know how they took the sum of N30, 000:00, which I had on me and a Q10 Blackberry and a Nokia phone. I cannot even recollect how they
took me to Alpha Beach where my Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card was collected. They used credit card to withdraw N15,000.00 from my account.
“After that they abandoned me and they took to their heels,” the victim narrated.
Abayomi noted that “Since then, I have kept a tab on them. When I saw them again at that same spot on Monday, March 27th, 2016, I quickly called the RRS operatives working within the area and they apprehended and arrested them. I thank God that they were eventually caught.”
The Police said that the victim informed them while they were on routine patrol along the expressway.“He ran to us and explained that some men have collected his belongings including certain amount of money. And instantly, we followed him to the spot where the two suspects were apprehended”, the police said.One of the suspects, Ojo Dauda, confessed that he was lured into the job after he was duped about one year ago.
According to him, “In November 2015, while I was on my way home from work around Ikorodu area, a guy, later identified as Olaiya, accosted me to ask for direction to somewhere in the area; after giving him the description of the area he asked for, he went further to cajole me to walk some miles with him. I don’t know how he did it but I found myself just obeying him and doing whatever he commanded.
“When I regained full consciousness, I didn’t find money on me any longer. I rushed down to the place he had met me and still found him. I was surprised.
“When I asked him for my money he said the money has been shared immediately I left. He then gave me an option to join them to dupe people in such manner I was duped. He told me I would realise N10, 000.00 per day, so I joined him in the business in order to support myself financially.”
Dauda admitted he had made a lot of money though he can’t say what he has done with all the money as he always spent his earnings on frivolous things.
The accused further revealed that he operated in Jakande Estate, Lekki-Ajah Road for other members of the syndicate as they spread across the state. “My base is in Jakande in Lekki-Ajah Expressway while others also spread across the state. Every night, we all converge at Olaiya’s house around Jakande, being the group leader and there we share anything we realised for the day,” Dauda confessed.
On his part, Segun Olatoye, who also confessed to the crime, regretted that he has just being introduced to the business about two months ago. The suspect said that he joined the syndicate after his dry cleaning business had challenges.
“I am from Imoba Local Government Area of Ekiti State but I was born and bred in Lagos. I was once a dry cleaner but left the job. I joined the syndicate about two months ago. To be truthful, on my own account, I have duped three people where I made N200, 000:00,” he admitted.
