DELTA POLICE RESCUE SEVEN MEN HELD AND TORTURED BY ‘HUSTLERS’ KINGDOM’ INTERNET FRAUD SYNDICATE
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Delta State Police Command has rescued seven young men allegedly held captive and tortured in an apartment in Warri by a syndicate operating under the name Hustlers’ Kingdom, which reportedly promised to train them in internet fraud, popularly known as “yahoo yahoo”.
The victims were freed after police operatives raided the apartment, following the daring escape of a 28-year-old victim identified as Chukwuike, who jumped through a window to alert security agents.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, said the victim disclosed that he had been held for over two months, during which he and others were starved, beaten and denied access to mobile phones.
“We barely ate. Sometimes once a day, then four days without food. Anytime we said we wanted to leave, the chairman beat us with a cane. That was why I jumped from the window. The marks on my back came from the beating because we didn’t have a paying client,” Chukwuike was quoted as saying.
Another victim, a 23-year-old from Benue State, reported being held for about a month and repeatedly prevented from leaving.
Edafe confirmed that the victims sustained visible injuries as a result of severe whipping. During the operation, police rescued all seven individuals and arrested two suspects identified as the “chairmen” of the HK ring.
The victims are currently receiving medical treatment, while the suspects are in custody and will face charges including human trafficking, unlawful confinement, assault and exploitation.
The police said investigations are ongoing to identify other similar criminal networks across the state.
Edafe urged parents and community members to remain vigilant, warning that criminals are increasingly disguising torture centres as training facilities.
“We will continue to clamp down on syndicates exploiting our youth. Protecting young people from harm and manipulation is a priority for the Delta State Police Command,” he stated.
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