A 32-year-old lady, Animasaun Rukayat, narrowly escaped death recently, after she fell into the hands of suspected fraudsters cum ritualists when she unknowingly boarded a cab being used by the gang for operation.
She was saved through the quick intervention of the Ambush Squad of the Oyo State Police Command which happened to stumble on the taxi and its occupants while the lady was in distress.
Three suspects, including Etiba Ekwueme (44), Israel Anthony (42) and Anwanolue Cosmas (45), were however nabbed.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Musa Katsina, while speaking with Crime Reports, said that Ekwueme and Anthony, both indigenes of Isiala Ngwa, Abia State; as well as Cosmas Anwanolue, an indigene of Okigwe, Imo State were arrested on June 23, 2015 by the Command’s Ambush Squad along Iwo Road-Challenge expressway, after they abducted Rukayat. The lady reportedly boarded the commercial taxi at Iwo Road.
He revealed that they were members of a criminal syndicate whose modus operandi was to go in commercial cabs and pretend to be taxi drivers in a bid to lure unsuspecting victims into their web. Katsina stated further that before the suspects’ arrest, Rukayat was being taken to an unknown destination, allegedly for ritual purposes.
“While in transit, one of the suspected fraudsters strangled the passenger in an attempt to make her unconscious or kill her but her agonising cry attracted the attention of a nearby Ambush Squad which came to her rescue,” the police commissioner stated further.
According to Katsina, vehicles being used for such criminal purposes but which were recovered from the suspects include Honda Concerto with registration number BL 860 BWR, Nissan Sunny with registration number AE 952 LND, Volkswagen Golf car with registration number LSD 515 AW, Hyundai Elantra with registration number AE 700 JND and Nissan Micra cars with registration number FST 426 GQ and EGB 480 XA. Some fake dollar notes were also reportedly recovered from the suspects.
In an interview with Crime Reports, Ekwueme denied involvement in fraudulent acts but admitted that he gave Anthony money to buy fuel on the day he was arrested. “I am a titled chief but I am not the chairman of fraudsters as being claimed by other suspects. It is true that I gave Anthony N1,000 to buy fuel on the day he was arrested. I did not send him to go and do anything like fraud or ritual.”
Anthony however confessed to being a ‘guy man’, the nomenclature given to fraudsters among themselves. “I used to work as a commercial driver in a taxi. The taxi belongs to one Emma, my brother. Actually, I am guy man. That is what we call those of us involved in defrauding members of the public by trick. I started the work three years ago and I was introduced to it by Emma.
“Our business is popularly referred to as 419. Those who usually fell victim to our antics were those who were greedy; who wanted to reap where they did not sow.
“We were usually three that would move any time we wanted to work. One of us would drive the taxi being used while two others would act as passengers. What we normally did was to pick a passenger, and one of us, who would pretend to be a passenger also, would say that he stole his master’s money and a charm had been placed on it. He would express his desire to know a spiritualist who could destroy the charm.
“If the mugun (passenger) showed interest, we would go to one of us who would act as a pastor. He would give the bill to buy things needed for the charm to be rendered impotent. The mugun would be asked to pay his share.
“We have many groups and particular days we go out to work. Each group has its chairman. The person who gives you money is your chairman, so on the day we were arrested, Ekwueme was our chairman, but he did not follow us. We don’t force people; we don’t harm them. We don’t use arms; our victims give in to us willingly.”
When asked whether he had not made enough money to leave the crime, Anthony replied that he did not have a personal car that could be used for the business. “Without a vehicle, you cannot go out. I only go if I have the chance. Money does not come regularly. The last work yielded just N7,000.”
“Just a few metres from the spot, the man who sat at the back with me grabbed my neck and started strangling me. I started shouting and out of nowhere, I saw a police van park beside the taxi and I was rescued,” Rukayat narrated.
Source:Tribune
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