Christopher Oji, Lagos
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested two suspected internet fraudsters (commonly known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo Boys’) who specialise in defrauding unsuspecting foreigners.
The suspects, identified as Olaide and Adeyemi, were arrested by a team of policemen on patrol at Opebi link bridge in Ikeja.
According to the police, while the team was on a stop-and-search operation, they intercepted a Toyota Corolla car with number plate KSF 462 FT, with three occupants, two males, one female and their driver.
“A distress call was however put across to the Area commander “F” Ikeja, ACP Akinbayo Olasoji, when the suspects were proving difficult and another two patrol team were sent to rescue the situation,” the police report stated.
“Also when a search was conducted on them, the policemen recovered some substance suspected to be hard drugs.
“The suspects were eventually taken to the station and another search was conducted on their bags and some charms were also found with them.”
In their statement, the suspects confessed to being into internet/cyber fraud, saying that they have defrauded a lot of people, especially foreigners.
One of the suspects confessed that he had defrauded a victim identified as Daniel from California, USA. The suspect had falsely identified to said Daniel as ‘Sharon’, a 35-year-old lady from Nigeria. He said it all started last year and that sometime in September this year the victim sent him $300 USD and an iPhone, which he received and later sold.
The other suspect, Olaide, said he had set up an online platform supposedly to give out loans and offer other assistance online. He claimed to have identified himself to his victims as ‘Agent Frank’ and that those who required his services would fill out an online form. He said that after they must have payed registration fees, he would block them. He claimed to have defrauded lots of victims this way.
The police said that the suspects are currently in detention while investigation continues.
