On May 6 in Emene, Enugu, Police Operatives assigned to Hawk Tactical Squad of the Enugu State Command and Troops of the Nigerian Air Force Enugu rounded up four suspected members of a criminal organization that specializes in trading Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards of unwitting victims.
The suspects’ names were released in a statement by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the command’s spokesperson. They were identified as Michael Sopuruchi, 36, Osinachi Godwin, 18, Moses Ani, 29, and Chika Nwoko, 29, all residents of the Emene community in the state.
Ndukwe claimed that the suspects were apprehended as they tried to flee to their illegal hideout in Emene, Enugu, after stealing the ATM Card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) of a gullible 63-year-old male victim while posing as his helpers at a commercial bank ATM along Ogui Road, Enugu.
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Following the switch, the suspects immediately withdrew a total of 495 000 Naira (N495,000.00) from the victim’s account using the Card and PIN.
‘’The suspects confessed to the crime, stating that they have carried out many other criminal acts of ATM Cards swapping and fraud within Enugu metropolis, while four (4) different banks’ ATM Cards, including that of the victim, were recovered from them. The suspects were on May 23 arraigned in court, where the Magistrate ordered that they should be remanded in Enugu Custodial Centre, while the case is adjourned to 07/06/2023 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.”
Ndukwe continued, “The State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Ammani, has called on bank customers, particularly the elderly and those without sufficient knowledge of how to use ATM cards, to exercise caution and seek the assistance of Banks’ staff while using their Cards on the Machine, while commending the Joint Operatives for busting and bringing the criminal syndicate to book.
