The Nigeria Police Force on Friday announced the arrest of five persons who had allegedly specialised in impersonating as journalists to gain access to important occasions so as to steal from important personalities.
A statement signed by Jimoh Moshood, the Force’s spokesman, said those arrested included the gang leader, one Musa Auwalu, 43, from Kano State; Kolawole Akinbode, 50; from Ogun State; and Umar Abba, 53, from Adamawa State.
Also arrested were Abdullahi Muhammed, 55, from Bauchi State; and Muhammad Sale, 60, from Kano State.
The statement said that the suspects were arrested in Abuja, Ogun, Edo and Kano States.
Moshood listed items recovered from the suspects to include 13 cell phones, fake journalist identity cards purportedly issued by non-existing media outfits and a house in Kano built by Auwalu.
He was said to have build the house from the huge foreign currencies he stole during the wedding of a Very Important Personality last year in Abuja.
Moshood said: “The Inspector-General’s Intelligence Response Team trailed and arrested the suspects after complaints of stolen phones from important personalities, who attended a wedding in Abeokuta, Ogun on July 8.
“The house built by Auwalu in Kano, with proceeds of such thefts, has been identified.”
Moshood said that the suspects had confessed to the crime and also admitted to the various roles they played in the commission of such crimes over time.
The spokesman said the suspects had also confessed that they specialised in impersonating as journalists to gain access into venues of important occasions to steal.
“Investigation is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large. All the suspects will be arraigned on completion of investigation,” he said.
Trending
- Investigation: Why residents of Lagos community have been battling flood for years
- ARISE News goes live in 10 African countries
- Why my father supported Obi — Ezeife’s daughter
- Breaking: Chess-a-thon: Tunde Onakoya breaks Guinness World Record + Video
- IMF: Why we asked Nigeria to remove fuel subsidy
- FAAC shares March revenues to FG, states, LGs
- Obi not mixing politics with religion — Media aide
- Gov. Ododo didn’t shield Bello from arrest – Commissioner