The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ekiti State Command, has arrested 14 persons for alleged economic-related offences.
The NSCDC state commandant, Mr. Paul Sosina, said the suspects were arrested in the state capital after routine checks and manhunts which involved the Counter Terrorism Unit, Intelligence and Investigation Unit and Financial Crime Unit of the command.
Sosina, in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Monday by the NSCDC State Public Relations Officer, Tolulope Afolabi, stated that the suspects were arrested “following numerous complaints from the general public especially business owners who had been complaining of the disappearance of funds in their banks account and Point of Sales operators with similar fraud reports.”
Afolabi stated that the state command had handed the suspects over to the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigations.
Handing over the suspects, the state commandant listed the offences allegedly committed by the suspects as “criminal conspiracy, cybercrime and obtaining under false pretenses.”
The suspects were arrested with various exhibits including phones, motorcycles, key bunches and jewelry.
The NSCDC commandant stated that “the suspects were apprehended after extensive investigation revealed their involvement in coordinated criminal activities, including cyberfraud and taking money under false pretences from unsuspecting victims with sophisticated methods of deception and exploitation of digital platform.”
He assured the public that “the command is now prepared to restore the dignity of Ekiti NSCDC by vehemently rejecting any inducement from suspects and their families.”
Sosina, however, warned that “anybody who is caught trying or attempting to bribe the NSCDC operatives in the state will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the constitution of Nigeria as well as extant rules.”