3 Fraudsters Arrested

Police detectives attached to Ajah Divisional Headquarters have arrested three men who always trick housegirls in Ajah, Lagos, southwest Nigeria to bring their masters’ money.

The suspects are, Chibueke Anyanwu, 27, who claimed to be from Imo State and resides at 29 Jimoh Ikotun Street, Ejigbo, Emeka Abaraoha, 36 and Pastor Vincent Njoku, 43.

According to Chibueke Anyanwu “I used to sell fairly-used clothes at Yaba Market and just three months ago, they demolished the place and when I told a friend called IK that I was looking for a job, he introduced me to this 419 business. About a month ago, he told me to follow him to Ajah.

“We were three -IK, Chika, a lady and myself. When  a lady was passing near Ajah Market, IK called her and she stopped while IK said he had just returned from abroad with some electronics. He told the lady that he needed some money to clear the goods. I just walked up to her and pretended that we were not together and I told the lady that we should help and the lady who gave her name as Joy said she had N20,000 at home that she would go and bring it. I said I was going to use my ATM to collect the N10,000 in my account.

“Before she left, we swore to an oath by holding our hands and Chika, one of our members told her she was a mortuary attendant that if she revealed anything to anybody, she would die. And we collected her phone number while I stayed somewhere. I later called Joy on phone and told her to bring the N20,000 that I was with my own N10,000 and she told me to meet her at Mr. Biggs’ As we were talking, policemen arrested me.

“I later learnt that IK and Chika had earlier collected N20,000 from her and disappeared. They asked her to go and bring more money as that amount was too small and she regained her senses and informed the police.”

Emeka Abaraoha said, “I am a gay man. I was working in a company that produces polythene bag at Ilupeju and I lost the job in 2008 and since then I became jobless and I also lost my wife in 2006 leaving behind two children -Ihoma, a six-year old boy and nine-year old Chiamaka. They are with my parents in the village.

“I was in the office of the leader, Pastor Vincent Njoku at Kajola Street, Ibeju-Lekki, when two people brought a girl Eunice, 24, of 1, Oti Compound, Omolara Olusi Street, Haruna bus stop, Ajah, that they were interested in money doubling. And I called Pastor Njoku who prayed and demanded for N27,000 to buy oil for washing the money and the lady said she wanted to go home to bring money. We collected her phone number. When we called her she  said we should come to Mayfair Garden, Ahoyaya, Ibeju-Lekki. And we drove in a Mitsubishi Lancer car marked DN 589LND belonging to Pastor Njoku and the police arrested us.”

Police sources revealed that Oti Eunice was about to bring the sum of N20,000 when her boss saw her.

— Oluwole Adeboye