Yobe State Police Command has arrested five members of a syndicate specialising in defrauding unsuspecting victims.
Police Public Relations Officer, of the Command, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed this in a statement made available to Journalists in Damaturu, the Yobe state Capital.
Abdulkarim named the suspects as Abdullahi Suleman, 62; Sani Salisu, 30; Nasiru Mohd, 30; all from Gombe State.
The rest are Alhasan Illiya, 55 from Potiskum local government area of Yobe State and 43-year-old Weti Mohd from Ngorore in Adamawa State.
They were apprehended on January 6, 2025 at about 1630hrs by the joint operations of the State Intelligence Department (SID) and Tarmuwa Divisional Police Headquarters.
According to the statement, the suspects’ modus operandi involves approaching targets, pretending to be travelers seeking assistance, and subsequently deceiving them into parting with large sums of money under the guise of performing fetish work to ward off enemies and bring prosperity.
The syndicate’s latest victim, Mallam Audu Shehu of Shekau Village in Tarmuwa LGA was defrauded of N500,000.
However, police said the stolen money was recovered intact during a search of the suspects’ possessions.
The suspects confessed to the crime, revealing that this was their first operation in Yobe State, although they had been active in Adamawa, Gombe, and Taraba States for over three years.
Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Garba Ahmed reiterated the Command’s commitment to ensuring security and safety in the state.
He urged the public to be cautious of impostors posing as marabouts or security agents to defraud community members.
The Command also advised residents to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station and remain vigilant.
Items recovered from the suspects include a Mercedes-Benz saloon car, a bunch of paper notes, cash of N500,000.00 and six granite pebbles.
Police said investigation is ongoing for subsequent prosecution of the suspects.