Joy Anyim
Policemen attached to the Area ‘F’ Police Command, Lagos State Police Command, have arrested two suspected internet fraudsters, popularly called ‘yahoo yahoo boys’, notorious for defrauding unsuspecting foreigners of their valuables.
The suspects, Salami Olaide and Olamide Adeyemi were arrested by a team of policemen led by Inspector Lawal while on patrol at Opebi linked bridge, Ikeja area of Lagos.
According to the Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Elkana Bala, while the police team were on stop and search, they intercepted one Toyota corolla with reg/no. KSf 462 FT with three occupants -two boys and a girl.
Bala revealed that the police team had suspected the occupants of the vehicle, hence subjecting them to some questioning.
While the suspects proved difficult, a distress call was however put across to the Area commander “F” Ikeja, ACP Akinbayo Olasoji, who sent another two patrol team to rescue the situation.
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The vehicle was also searched and substances suspected to be hard drugs were recovered. The suspects were eventually taken to the station and another search was conducted on their bags and some charms were also found with them.
Speaking further on the arrest, the Police Spokesperson said: “ On December 21, 2019 at 4 p.m., Police patrol team from Area ‘F’ Command Ikeja on pin down point at Opebi Link Bridge Ikeja, intercepted one Toyota corolla with registration number KSF 462 FT with two male occupants namely, Salami Olaide and Olamide Adeyemi and one female. Upon reasonable suspicion, both the vehicle and the occupants were searched and some substances suspected to be hard drugs were recovered from them. Investigation also revealed that the suspects are into cyber crime.
“Adeyemi has a Facebook account he opened posing as a female, using the name Sharon. One of his victims is Daniel Nix from California, USA whom he defrauded of an iPhone and US dollars. Olaide, on the other hand, has an online platform known as Grant and operating under the name Frank. He is posing as an agent of the company responsible for giving loans and assistance to people online.
“Once a prospective victim who required their services fills the application form online and pays the registration fees, he will block the victim. There are lots of innocent Nigerians who became victims of such fraud. There is no evidence so far, linking the female arrested together with the two male suspects, to their nefarious activities. The victims of such fraud are enjoined to report at Area ‘F’ Command Headquarters, Ikeja, with evidence of transactions between them and the suspects. The suspects will soon be charged to Court.”
In their statement, the suspects admitted that they were into internet/cyber fraud and have defrauded a lot of people.
Adeyemi, 25, confessed that he defrauded his victim, one Daniel Nix, and that he posed as a lady called Sharon, who is 35- years old from Nigeria and the victim thought the person was actually a woman.
He said it all started in 2018, and sometimes in September 2019 the victim sent him $300 USD and one iPhone which he received and claimed to have sold the phone.
While the other suspect, Olaide, 26, said he uses an online platform in form of Grant that gives loans and assistance online. He also claimed to be one agent Frank, and that any victim who required his services always fill his form online and after paying the registration fees, he will block the victim. He added that he has defrauded a lot of people online.
