Men of the Lagos State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, have arrested seven suspected fraudsters who have been actively defrauding foreigners through the internet ‘Yahoo-Yahoo.’
According to reports, a 38-year-man identified as Henry Simon had walked into the police station claiming that his friend, identified as Kenneth Okogba, also known as Biggie, was a kidnapper and fraudster.
Simon had asked officers he met at the station to arrest his 31-year-old partner, Okogba, for disappearing with the money gotten from an American through fraudulent means.
The police was said to have, however, discovered that the complainant was also a fraudster, whose friend duped of money they got from an American.
His complaint led to the smashing of the syndicate, arrest of seven suspects, including the complainant.
Simon who was angry over his arrest, insisted that defrauding people via the Internet was not a crime.
According to him, “Yahoo-yahoo is just a creative means of making money.
“Police should release me; I’m not a criminal. I shouldn’t be treated as one!”
Simon had gone to the police station after Okogba bolted with the sum of $7090 he conned from the American only identified as Sesebegude.
After several frustrating attempts to reach Okogba failed, Simon went to the SCID, to lodge a complaint forgetting he too was culpable.
After their arrest, Okogba confessed that they have been duping people through Facebook, by promoting none existing lotto.
Okogba, also said he was an ex-convict, adding, “I was arrested by detectives attached to Ajah Police Station for defrauding an European through Facebook lotto. People call it ‘Yahooyahoo’.”
Simon, who hails from Ebonyi state, added, “I have been in this business since 2006. This is the only way I fend for my family. It’s better than to engage in crimes like stealing or kidnapping.
“Since I started, I have been getting few coins like $100 or $200, which I have been using to cloth myself. But this particular money, which I got from my client, Mr. Sesebegude, an American citizen, was my ultimate breakthrough. The money was $7090, equivalent of N2, 2546, 20.
“Biggie was the picker; that’s the person who gets the money from the bank. But since he picked the money, he has not given me my share, which was 70 percent of the total money. I met Biggie several times to give me my share, but he always threatened me. I got frustrated and reported him to the police at SCID, Panti.
“I went with a copy of the payment slip, which affirmed that Biggie received the money.” “I told the police that Biggie was a kidnapper, so that they would arrest him as soon as possible.
“I knew I told a lie, but Biggie is an ex-convict. He has served his jail term. I don’t know the crime he committed that made him to go to jail.”
Simon went further to say that prior to Okogba’s arrest; five other suspected fraudsters were arrested in Okogba’s apartment.
The police also recovered 1000 unused SIM cards, three laptops, wraps of Indian hemp and mobile phones. Two laptops were recovered from Simon’s house, which he claimed were used by him and his brother, Anthony.
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