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Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Ibadan zonal office on Friday arrested 19 suspected internet fraudsters (locally known as yahoo boys”) at Ologuneru and Akobo areas, of Ibadan, and recovered several items including charms and female underwears.
This was made known in a press statement made available to journalists on Friday evening by the Acting Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Tony Orilade.
According to Orilade, the arrest was made possible in a sting operation led by the zonal head of the office, Friday Ebelo.
“The suspects who are between the ages of 21 and 35 years were taken by surprise when operatives swept on them at one of their notorious havens in the city. Five of them allegedly claimed to be undergraduates while the other 10 claimed to be self-employed in varied vocations”, he said.
The names of the suspects arrested in Ologuneru are Bamidele Ayodele Samson, Bamidele Philip, Tunji Oladapo Sowale, Bololaji Olalekan and Abdulrauf Abiodun.
Others are Olaleye Pelumi, Anuokuwapo Olanrewaju, Paul Damilola, Olateye David Tobi, Arewa Adekunle Ibrahim, Oyesanmi Ayomikun Oluwaseun, Olaleye Israel, Adediran Kemisola, Omobolade Alarape and Olowolusi Oluwatomisin.
The four other suspects arrested in the early hours of Friday at their hideout in Akobo are Babatunde Afeez, Akorede Ahmed Olalekan, Adeleye Damilola and Moshod Richard.
The statement explained that “the Commission got wind of their activities following series of intelligence report, alleging that they engaged in various fraudulent activities ranging from obtaining money by false pretenses through sending of scam emails to unsuspecting victims mostly in the United States of America, while others were engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.
“At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered four different models and brands of exotic cars, five laptops, 20 telephones (10 iPhones) and one small bag containing items suspected to be fetish objects (charms) from them. Several documents, including international passports, and debit cards were recovered from them.”
The items recovered at Akobo Include “sim cards, one exotic car, laptops, telephones, female underwear and four bags of fetish objects (juju) from them. Several documents containing false pretenses were also recovered from the suspects.”
He stated that the suspects are “already helping operatives with useful information.”
He said the suspects will soon be charged to court.