No fewer than eleven traders at various markets and shops in Osogbo, capital of Osun State have been swindled by a gang of suspected fraudsters who go about buying food items from sellers and paying with fake bank alerts.
The suspects, according to police sources, drive around various marketplaces and other locations where bags of rice, kegs of groundnut oil among other expensive food items are sold in the capital city, identify themselves as police officers and medical doctors practicing in the state during price negotiation with traders before committing the alleged crimes.
It was gathered that the syndicate visited Sasa market at Oke-Baale, Owode market, Kolawole area, Oju-Irin Area, Ogo-Oluwa area, Orita-Elelede, Housing Estate Area, Ayekale Area, among others in Osogbo on January 6, 2025, bought about 11 bags of rice and other items from 11 different traders and paid with fake bank alerts from their phones.
The Point gathered that luck ran out of the suspects after traders started weeping over their losses and reported the incidents to police stations in their areas.
After investigation, the police in the state successfully arrested two members of the fraud gang.
The arrested suspects are Oyelere Gbenga, a 54-year-old man who allegedly impersonated himself as a medical doctor, and a 37-year-old man, Muftau Balogun, who presented himself to their victims as a police officer.
They were dragged before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Osogbo and slammed with 26 charge-counts bothering on conspiracy, attempted felony, impersonation, stealing, obtaining goods under false pretence and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
Police prosecutor, Elisha Olusegun, informed the court that Gbenga and Balogun, committed the offences alongside others who are at large, adding that major part of the fraudulent activities were carried out around 4:00pm of that day.
Olusegun said the food items allegedly stolen by the accused persons were valued N1,110,700, explaining that the market women and men that were defrauded included Adeoye Jelilat, Oyelade Nike, Yusuf Adeola, Omogboye Basirat, Ajakaye Opeyemi, Akosile Ronke, Abegunde Olushola, Omobayode Sherifat, Muheeb Kafayat, Fanjenyo Opeyemi and Afolabi Grace.
He said the defendants committed offences contrary to sections 516, 484, 383, 419, 249(d) and punishable under section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
Gbenga and Balogun pleaded not guilty to the offences.
However, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara ordered their remand in a Correctional Centre and adjourned for consideration of their bail.