Men and officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), have arrested a 79-year-old man, Mr Ayeni Lawrence and four others for allegedly defrauding a Nigerian resident in the United States of America, Mr Okechukwu Omeniho of the sum of three hundred thousand Naira.
Other suspected ritualists cum fraudsters were: Messrs Ifashola Babatubde(44), Akin Ojo(25), Yusuf Korede(30) and Adetifa Ishola(45).
According to a statement by the NSCDC Commandant in Ekiti, Mr Donatus Ikemefuna, the suspects were paraded at the NSCDC headquarters located along Afao road in Ado Ekiti .
Ikemefuna revealed that the alleged culprits were arrested by counter-terrorism and intelligence units of the command.
The suspects, according to Ikemefuna were arrested at Iwaro area of Oke Ila of Ado Ekiti metropolis at about 8.30am yesterday inside the bush , while performing rituals with intention to defraud the victim of a huge sum of money.
Ikemefuna said prior to the arrest of the suspects, the residents of the area had informed the command of the activities of these evil doers, revealing that this made him to place his men on alert to nab the suspects.
He said they were arrested after laying ambush in the thick forest, where they used a hut building to swindle the unsuspecting members of the public.
The NSCDC boss said the victim, a businessman , who hails from Imo State was tricked from Atlanta Georgia , USA on the premise that he was having problem with his business and needed spiritual help to bail him out of the quagmire.
In the desperate bid to restore his business fortunes , Omeniho fell into the hands of these fraudsters, who had collected a staggering sum of N300,000 from him to appease the gods on his behalf .
“This man cried uncontrollably when we arrested him alongside these wicked people. He was even asking about where he was because he has been charmed. They had collected money from him.
“We have a lot of cases here reported that some elements are operating in Oke Ila, Isato, Atikankan, Iwaro, Ojumose , Odo Ado Okesha and other metropolis of Ekiti State and had successfully duped of innocent people hundred millions of naira at installments.
“That is why I have positioned my officers in those strategic areas and with the support of the residents of Iwaro community today, we have been able to apprehend these ones. We still have a lot of them at large and they have been put under surveillance.
“It is part of our core mandate to rid the society of terrorists , under which occults fall , and fraudsters of any kind. We can’t allow this state to become haven for fraudsters and ritualists. Anyone caught will be properly investigated and face the wrath of the law,” he threatened.
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