Nigeria Police Force, Niger state Command on16th November,2023 at about 0950hrs, arrested two suspects; namely:
-Aver Wese 31yrs of Obudu, Cross-Rivers State
-Godwin Deor 30yrs of Ankpa, Kogi State
The suspects were arrested at Old Nepa roundabout, Suleja by the Police operatives attached to Suleja Area Command,after they attempted to swap a female victim’s ATM card at a commercial bank ATM gallery in Suleja.
The victim discovered the attempt and raised an alarm, while the suspects immediately entered a Toyota Corolla vehicle with Reg. No. YAB 267 CW and zoomed off from the scene.
Consequently, the Police patrol team was alerted and trailed the vehicle. The vehicle was intercepted at Old Nepa roundabout, Suleja and the two suspects were arrested, while the driver, one David Therma abandoned the vehicle and escaped.
During interrogation, the suspects confessed that both of them came from Lokoja and met David at Zuba in Abuja, who was said to have taken the vehicle from an Uber driver in Abuja.
They narrated further that the trio moved to a commercial bank in Suleja, where they met the female victim who was having difficulties in operating an ATM, the suspects spied on her PIN and offered to help her as the machine could not dispense, but in the process, the card was ejected and they attempted to swap her ATM card, she noticed the act and raised an alarm.
The suspects claimed that they were graduates of Educational Technology from Benue State University, and that they had been carrying out such nefarious activities for the past five months, which they withdrew about N170,000 from other victims’ accounts in Nasarawa State, about N90,000 was withdrawn through victims’ cards in Lokoja and the similar attempt in Suleja was not successful.
Exhibits recovered from them include;
-A Toyota Corolla vehicle with Reg. No. YAB 267 CW
-Nine ATM cards
-One POS machine
One flash drive
Suspects are currently undergoing further investigation at SCID Minna, and effort is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing David Therma.
Meanwhile,the Niger state Commissioner of Police, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman has enjoined members of the public to be more careful at ATM galleries and be more security cautious at other public places, he commended Nigerlites and the victim for their cooperation and support which was fruitful in arresting the suspects.
