"We Transfer Victims’ Money With Their Phones Into Our Account" – Robbery Suspect

A suspect, David Lucky, who is one of the three persons arrested by the operatives of Edo State Police Command, has opened up on how he and members of his gang transferred money from their victims’ accounts to their own accounts, using their victims’ phones.

Lucky told Southern City News that the sum N210,000 was transferred from the accounts of three of their victims on the eve of the New Year through the code of a popular commercial bank.

He said, “We transferred money from people’s account. We used to work for a telecoms company.

When we see people with big phones, we tell them that they could watch satellite TV stations on their phones. We also offer to help them with their subscription.

“Through that process, we also transfer money from people’s accounts. We transferred N100, 000 each from the accounts of two individuals and N10, 000 from another account. We did it on the eve of the New Year.”

The 19-year-old suspect said one of their victims alerted the police when she discovered a deduction in her account and raised the alarm.

The suspect said, “The person from whose account we transferred N100, 000 saw us when we were going home and held my friend, who transferred the money and demanded his money.

“From there, we were arrested and taken to New Benin. I regret everything. My dad is late but my mum was fed up with me because of what I did.”

Lucky and two others were arrested by the Edo State Police Command for allegedly engaging in cybercrime and other fraudulent activities in Benin metropolis.

They were said to have been arrested at Upper Mission Road in Oredo Local Government Area of the state, after allegedly defrauding a woman around New Benin.

Lucky and other suspects (each aged 19 years) identified as Louis Ogidamen and Theophilus Oko, had posed as registration agents for a telecoms company.

It was learnt that they offered to register the SIM cards of their victims.

They were also alleged to have offered to assist their victims to enable financial transactions on their mobile phones and in the process, transferred money from the victims’ accounts to their own account.

The Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspects were under investigation.