The Police in FCT have smashed a notorious criminal syndicate who pose as soothsayers, operating in ‘supposed’ shrines and defrauding unsuspecting members of the public of several millions of naira.
A victim of the soothsayers, a female (names with-held) who was defrauded of N11million, petitioned the Police Command about the criminal activities of the syndicate, prompting operatives to raid the shrines located at Waru, Pyakassa and Galadimawa villages of the FCT.
Consequently, four suspects namely Kehinde Ayala 37 years, Sesan Fatoye 30 years, Shola Samuko 50 years and Sheyi Fagbemi 32 years were arrested.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge Operations, FCT Command, who spoke on behalf of FCT CP Bala Ciroma, noted that the command is on the trail of other members of the notorious gang who claimed to be fortune tellers.
Among exhibits recovered from the shrines are charms, herbs, calabashes, pipes, white and red pieces of clothes etc.
DCP Babaji also disclosed that the Command last week succeeded in busting a hideout of armed robbers in Dutse Alhaji area resulting in the recovery of 4 locally fabricated pistols, 66 rounds of live ammunition and some charms.
He said, “Acting on a tip off, and following a joint operation by police operatives from Dutse Alhaji and MOPOL 50 Squadron, one Chijioke Mathias 35 years, Ikenna Okafor 33 years and Fidelis Okoro 34 years were arrested at their Dutse Alhaji hideout while plotting to carry out a robbery operation”
DCP Babaji noted that apart from the pistols and ammunition recovered from the robbers, “It is important to state that Ikenna Okafor from whose custody three of the firearms and 52 live ammunition were recovered, was among the inmates who escaped from Niger State during the 2018 jail break”.
On arrested kidnappers, Babaji said that following a complaint of a planned kidnapping attempt, detectives from the State CID arrested one Monday Simon Emmanuel Mathew, Lawal Sabiu and Husseini Ismail who conspired to extort and threatened to kidnap their victim for ransom.
“While Monday Simon was arrested at his residence in Jikwoyi, his cohorts were arrested at Durumi where they had gone to recover the money requested from their victim”, he said.
“Similarly, Police detectives from the command have arrested one Hamza Abdullahi and his cohort, Awalu Shuaibu, for arranging his kidnap and demanding ransom from his father.
“The suspect who wanted to use the medium to extort money from his parents was arrested at Katampe extension where he had gone to receive the ransom”.
Also nabbed by Police operatives is a suspect was impersonating as a Police officer. The suspect, one Samuel Ogabaidu was arrested while driving against traffic and he introduced himself as a Police Sergeant to the Police Patrol team that arrested him.
“When questioned, he confessed that he was not a Police officer. The command is carrying out a discreet investigation to ascertain his mission and unravel the source of security gadgets found in his possession including one Jack Knife, Fake Police Warrant Card, Improvised Bullet Proof Vest, some security gadgets and accoutrement”
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