Suspects arrested in connection with an alleged fraud operation in Lagos have given fresh details of how victims were lured, extorted and deceived, according to accounts obtained by investigators.
Police sources said the case came to light after a woman raised the alarm, having earlier been held hostage by the suspects. Millions of naira were allegedly extorted from her family before she was eventually released.
One of the suspects, Emmanuel Njoku, a 60-year-old man from Abia State, told investigators he had been involved in what he described as the “business” for about eight years.
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not,” he said, recounting how he was arrested at Bode Thomas while attempting to recruit passengers.
Njoku explained that the group targeted unsuspecting commuters, particularly those perceived as greedy.
“When passengers boarded, this woman would claim she was carrying dollars. Anyone who showed interest would engage her in conversation, and then we would lure them,” he said.
‘We are into 419,’ another suspect claims
Another suspect, Ogbona Amos, who hails from Rivers State, also spoke to investigators, insisting that a shrine discovered at the location was not used for criminal activities.
“I use the shrine for church work,” he claimed, adding that he stayed with a friend identified as Rotimi, who is also among the suspects.
Ogbona admitted involvement in internet fraud, commonly known as “419”, saying the group operated from multiple locations across Lagos.
“We have many offices and people come at any time. We have six different vehicles stationed at different locations and we own them,” he said. “We collect money from victims; sometimes we get N100,000 or more.”
Police say investigations are ongoing as authorities work to determine the full scale of the operation and identify other possible victims and accomplices.
