(The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu. Photo Credit: Punch News)
The Anambra State Police Command has foiled a suspected kidn@p attempt, rescued a victim and arrested a 66-year-old man, Kenneth Nnaji, over his alleged involvement in a criminal syndicate accused of obtaining money under false pretences in Awka and its environs.
The command said the suspect allegedly belongs to a three-man syndicate that specialises in defr@uding unsuspecting members of the public through elaborate deception across Anambra and Enugu states.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, carried out the operation on July 11.
He said the suspect allegedly confessed during interrogation and provided investigators with useful information about the group’s operations.
According to him, the syndicate allegedly disguises its members in branded overalls and caps while posing as representatives of reputable companies.
The suspects allegedly obtain goods from prospective victims under the guise of collecting samples before directing them to another location, claiming larger quantities of the goods are available at heavily discounted prices, where they are eventually defr@uded.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect belongs to a three-man criminal syndicate specialising in defr@uding unsuspecting members of the public through elaborate deception across Anambra and Enugu states.
During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to his involvement in the enterprise and provided useful information on the group’s modus operandi.
He further identified other members of the syndicate as Christopher, whose surname is yet to be ascertained, Jacob Musa, and Joseph, also with an unconfirmed surname, all of whom remain at large.
Ikenga said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and dismantle the syndicate. He added that the Anambra Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, urged members of the public to remain vigilant and verify the identities and credentials of individuals claiming to represent companies before engaging in business transactions.
He said the commissioner had directed the investigating team to conduct a thorough investigation into the case, ensure the arrest of all fleeing suspects, recover the proceeds of the alleged fr@ud, and prosecute all those found culpable in accordance with the law, adding that the suspect would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.
