The Benue State Police Command has uncovered an Internet fraud training center, commonly referred to as a ‘yahoo yahoo’ school, in Makurdi, the state capital.
The Command’s special operation, aimed at dismantling criminal gangs in the state, led to the arrest of 31 suspected members involved in various illicit activities, including Internet fraud, robbery, cultism, and kidnapping.
Parading the suspects on Tuesday at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, State Police Commissioner Mr. Steve Yabanet detailed that the arrests stemmed from diverse criminal activities.
He explained that specifically, the ‘yahoo yahoo’ training center was discovered following a tip-off about a fraud academy operating on Jerome Hwande Street in the Akpa-Quarters area of Makurdi.
Yabanet stated, “Police detectives were detailed to investigate the case, and on May 14, 2024, at about 6 am, the following suspects were arrested at the house: 23-year-old Terpase Denmodi and 24-year-old Avalumun Ayangekaa.”
Recovered items from the suspects included seven HP laptops, one Apple notebook, a Cannon printer, 15 notes of Ghanaian cedis, two international passports, assorted clothing, among other items.
“The suspects confessed to the crime, stating that most of their victims are foreigners. They admitted to training students in the fraud business at the house, with trainees sharing the proceeds of fraud as they go out to practice,” the CP explained.
Yabanetb noted eight other suspected Internet fraudsters were also arrested in a Makurdi hotel, and three members of a kidnap gang operating in Makurdi were also apprehended.
The Police Commissioner disclosed that the crackdown on May 6, 2024, also led to the dismantling of a kidnap gang operating along the Makurdi-Naka road.
This gang had blocked the highway, robbing commercial motorbike operators and kidnapping a victim for whom they collected N2 million ransom.
“In the course of the kidnap, one victim raised an alarm, leading to the arrest of one suspect, 21-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim, who could not flee with his colleagues as they were being chased. The suspect confessed to the crime, admitting that he and his gang usually kidnap people along Naka road and collect ransom,” Mr. Yabanet reported.
The Commissioner listed various items recovered from the 31 suspects, including laptops, motorbikes, an AK-47 rifle, numerous ATM cards, POS machines, a locally fabricated gun, phones, and other dangerous weapons.
He assured the public that the crackdown would continue, with ongoing investigations into the network of fraudsters and criminal gangs. He appealed to the public to provide the police with information that could aid their fight against crime and criminality in the state.
