• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ad Rates
  • Submit News
  • Contact Us
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The Eagle Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Politics
  • Columns
  • Business
  • Life & Style
    • Crime
    • R&D Health
    • Diet and Fitness
    • Intimacy
  • Entertainment
    • Photos
    • Fashion
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Advert Rates
No Result
View All Result
The Eagle Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Politics
  • Columns
  • Business
  • Life & Style
    • Crime
    • R&D Health
    • Diet and Fitness
    • Intimacy
  • Entertainment
    • Photos
    • Fashion
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Advert Rates
No Result
View All Result
The Eagle Online
No Result
View All Result

Suspect arrested while trying to sell stolen phone to owner

by Dotun Oladipo
November 21, 2019
in Crime, Featured
3 min read
We paid N120m and not N100m as ransom to Wadume — Victim’s family
217
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT
UBA wise savers

Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, Edo State Unit have smashed a gang that allegedly specialised in assisting suspected robbers make tracking of stolen phones impossible for owners and policemen.
At least four members of the gang, alleged to be software engineers, have been arrested in Edo State.
The suspects have been identified as Bright Irabor, Benedict Edo, Ernest Ubong and Christian Egbheri.
They were all rounded up at the Oba Market in Benin City after operatives got information about their activities.
A police source said: “IRT operatives, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were deployed to Edo State to combat high rate of kidnapping and armed robbery in state.
“The state has been experiencing difficulty in solving most robbery and kidnapping cases within the state.
“It was also discovered that phones, which were snatched, suddenly became untraceable as a result of changed IMEI.
“The operatives made a breakthrough in tracking members of the syndicate and discovered that the members had been assisting bandits to make these phones untraceable.”
Our reporter gathered that the downfall of the syndicate started after 24-year-old Othuke Samuel, a trader, lost his phone to thieves.
He was going home after close of business when his phone was snatched.
Samuel reported the theft of his phone to the police and a manhunt was launched for the thief.
The thief was later discovered to be Bulama Sani.
The said Sani was arrested after he went to Samuel’s shop to sell him the same stolen phone.
Samuel said: “When he brought the phone to my shop, asking me to buy it, I immediately recognised my phone.
“I then looked at the boy properly.
“I recognised him.
“I kept calm and asked him how much he wanted to sell the phone.
“He said N150,000.
“I then asked him to wait in my shop that I wanted to get some money from the bank.
“I left him at the shop and went straight to the IRT operatives.
“The operatives followed me and arrested him.”
Sani would later tell the operatives that he used to change the IMEI of stolen phones at the Oba Market, Benin City.
“He explained that changing the IMEI naturally makes the phones untraceable.
“He assisted operatives in arresting the software engineers who allegedly used to assist him in changing stolen phones’ IMEI.
The software engineers arrested during the raid at the Oba market confessed to changing IMEI for criminals at a fee of N1,000 per phone.
Edo, one of the suspects and a student of University of Benin, said: “I work at Abuma Shopping Complex in Benin City.
“I repair and flash phones of all kinds.
“I also change IMEI of phones.
“I learned the process of changing IMEI of phones from the internet.
“I’m also aware that it was criminals that were always coming to change IMEI of phones.
“I had already stopped accepting such jobs before police came to arrest me.”
Another suspect, Egbheria, said he was aware that changing IMEI of phones was criminal.
He, however, explained that he engaged in it because the money was attractive.
He explained that the process of changing a phone IMEI was easy and all that one needed was to access the phone’s software, wipe off the old code and replace it with a new one.
Egbheria added that those who usually seek them out for such jobs come with more than one phone.

Tags: Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team
Share177Tweet17Share7
Previous Post

Police nab wanted serial rapist in Lagos

Next Post

Policemen in IG’s Squad collected N700,000 from me via PoS — Victim

Related Posts

Don’t be deterred by heavy security patrols, CP tells voters

Police arrest wanted kidnap kingpin, others in Katsina

December 9, 2019
Yar’adua Foundation, 29 others to lose property worth N4.8b to FG — ICPC

We will deal ruthlessly with corruption – ICPC

December 9, 2019
Osinbajo inaugurates committees for GRID3 Nigeria

Osinbajo makes public letter to organisers of 2019 anti-corruption defender award

December 9, 2019
Alleged internet fraud: EFCC tells court defendant wants plea bargain deal

Bankers, Indian jailed five years each for N855m fraud

December 9, 2019
Load More

Latest Updates

Only humility, personal sacrifice can root out intolerance, bigotry – Osinbajo

Lagos to become Africa’s biggest innovation hub

Buhari orders OAGF to publish daily treasury statements

Police arrest wanted kidnap kingpin, others in Katsina

We will deal ruthlessly with corruption – ICPC

Osinbajo makes public letter to organisers of 2019 anti-corruption defender award

FG donates relief materials to flood victims in Kebbi

Bankers, Indian jailed five years each for N855m fraud

EFCC saved us from inheriting empty treasury — Kwara Governor

EFCC secures 171 convictions in Ibadan Zone







ADVERTISEMENT
The Eagle Online

Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ad Rates
  • Submit News
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Politics
  • Columns
  • Business
  • Life & Style
    • Crime
    • R&D Health
    • Diet and Fitness
    • Intimacy
  • Entertainment
    • Photos
    • Fashion
    • Movies
    • Music
  • Advert Rates

Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok