Operatives of the Police Intelligence Response Team have arrested a gang of criminals specialising in defrauding foreigners using the names of high profile politicians in the country.
The arrested suspects, according to police source, had been parading as special advisers to chief of staff to the President, national security adviser, minister of petroleum, minister of Finance, Chief Bola Tinubu, Senate President Bukola Saraki and others.
The criminals were said to have registered sim cards with the names of these high profile personalities in the country and used them to defraud of millions of Naira.
“Following the series of complaints received by the IGP on the activities of some notorious criminals, who posed as Chief of Staff to President, NSA, Minister of Petroleum, minister of Finance, Chief Bola Tinubu, Senate President and others, the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, directed the Intelligence Response Team to trace and Arrest the Criminals.
A police source said, “After three days of unrelenting follow up and technical intelligence support from TIU, the four-man syndicate led by one High Chief Ovie Ogogo, 47, who impersonates prominent citizens from the South South and SouthEast; Abdulazeez Eragbe, 40, who impersonates prominent citizens from the North; Babatunde Oshamoto, 49, who impersonates prominent persons from the South West and North Central and Samuel Idah, 25, who supplies them with sim cards registered with the names of the prominent citizens were all arrested in a luxury hotel in Kaduna State by IRT.”
The police added that all the suspects had confessed to the crime.
It was also gathered that the suspects confessed to have made over N20million from their criminal activities within the last six months.
They also allegedly mentioned one Prince Maurice based in the United Kingdom as their overall gang leader.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects included 14 different phones, all with SIM cards registered with the names of top government officials and several extra registered Sim cards.
A Diary containing phone numbers of several top government officials was also recovered from the suspects.
“Chief Ovie further confessed that they posed as the National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno and collected N13million from a Ghanaian man, who wanted to get an oil block in Nigeria by posing as the Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr. Babachir David. They also collected N4million from one Nnamdi Udo, who is looking for a Federal Appointment. They also posed as Malam Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President and collected N2.5million from one Mr. Bishop, who was looking for contract. Suspects again posed as the Chief of Staff to the President,” the police said.
