Mother of four among alleged suspects arrested for ATM card swapping

A mother of four, Chika Nwoko, 29, is among four suspects arrested by the Enugu State Police Command for alleged Automated Teller Machine card swapping and fraud.

Police said the operation leading to the busting and arresting of the syndicate was carried out by Joint Security Operatives.

The suspects were later arraigned and have been remanded.

This was even as the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, urged bank customers to be mindful of who assists them at ATM galleries.

The Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Daniel Ndukwe, said: “Police Operatives serving in Hawk Tactical Squad of the Enugu State Command, together with Troops of the Nigerian Air Force Enugu, on 6th of May, at about 4: 30pm, intercepted and arrested in Emene, Enugu, a criminal syndicate of four Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards swapping suspects. They include three males: Michael Sopuruchi, 36, Osinachi Godwin,18, Moses Ani 29, and a mother of four, Chika Nwoko, 29, all of the behind Emenite, Emene, Enugu.”

According to Ndukwe, the suspects were arrested while escaping to their above-mentioned criminal hideout in Emene, Enugu after they fraudulently stole the ATM card and Personal Identification Number of an unsuspecting 63-year-old male victim.

It was gathered that the syndicate fraudulently collected the old man’s ATM PIN while pretending to assist him withdraw money from a commercial Bank ATM along Ogui Road, Enugu.

Ndukwe added: “Immediately after the switcheroo, the suspects used the Card and PIN to withdraw the total sum of N495,000.00 from the victim’s account. Meanwhile, the suspects confessed to the crime, stating that they have carried out many other criminal acts of ATM Cards swapping and fraud within the Enugu metropolis, while four different banks’ ATM Cards, including that of the victim, were recovered from them.

“Consequently, the suspects were today, 23rd of May arraigned in court, where the Magistrate ordered that they should be remanded in Enugu Custodial Centre, while the case is adjourned to 7th of June 2023 for further hearing and the case-file transmitted to the Attorney General for legal advice, through the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Enugu State.

“To this end, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Ammani, while commending the Joint Operatives for busting and bringing the criminal syndicate to book, has called on bank customers, particularly the elderly and those without proper knowledge of how to use ATMs of banks, to exercise caution and seek the assistance of Banks’ staff while using their Cards on the Machine.”