The Delta State Police Command on Wednesday revealed how operators of an Internet fraud academy, popularly called Yahoo, Yahoo, in the State lured over 100 teenagers into the business. This even as operatives of the Nigerian Army have arrested the 100 teenagers in the academy.
According to command’s Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, the suspects were lured with a promise to train them in Bitcoin and forex trading.
This was contained in a video shared Edafe on his X page on Wednesday.
Speaking on the arrest, Edafe narrated that the suspects had arrived at the academy only to discover that it was a “Hustling Kingdom.”
However, PUNCH Metro reports that the soldiers from the 3rd Battalion Nigerian Army Barracks stormed an estate in the Warri area of the State. They arrested over 100 suspected internet fraudsters.
According to the report, the school was reportedly engaged in training cybercriminals. Upon their arrest, the suspects were handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
Responding to the arrest, the police PRO stressed that the arrest by the military came through information. He noted that one of the suspects contacted his family member via the laptop given to him by the academy operators.
Edafe further narrated that upon informing his family about the trap he was caught in, the family contacted the military. And that led to the arrest of 123 suspects, most of whom were teenagers.
He said, the suspects were lured into a trap with promises of learning BTC trading and forex. And only to find themselves in Hustlers HK, a notorious cybercrime training network.
“We are here at the Ekpan Police Station Effurun Divisional HQ, where we will be parading about 123 suspected Internet fraudsters who were engaged in Internet fraud.”
“Their modus operandi is that they engage their agents who go on social media to flaunt wealth, which most times isn’t even theirs. And convince unsuspecting boys aged 17, 18, 19, and 20 that they want to teach them forex and crypto business.”
“They lure some from Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, and Ibadan to that particular estate. And beat the hell out of them, feeding them only when they feel like,” Edafe said.
The PPRO revealed that the suspects were deceived by agents flaunting fake wealth on social media. And they convince them to join the fraudulent scheme.
Edafe added that the agents would then lure them to the estate. Where they were subjected to physical abuse and exploitation.
However, efforts to ascertain whether the operators of the school had been arrested proved abortive. This is even as the PPRO did not respond to calls and messages made to his line.
source: Punch
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