DELTA POLICE ARREST FRAUD SYNDICATE, RECOVER STOLEN PHONES, CARS AND CASH

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a syndicate of suspected fraudsters and robbers who specialise in defrauding and dispossessing unsuspecting victims of valuable items across the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Asaba, the state capital.

According to him, operatives of the CP-Special Assignment Team, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended the syndicate between August 11 and 16, 2025.

“The suspects pose as individuals seeking direction before hypnotising their victims, after which they rob and defraud them of valuables such as phones, motorcycles, jewellery, and even wipe their bank accounts,” Edafe said.

The suspects, identified as Ibrukoko (32), Obruche Actor (31), Umukoro (28), Emmanuel Buruutu (22), Musa Abdulahi (27), Sokoh (30), Preye Julius (36), and Kadija Abass (30), reportedly operated in Warri, Ughelli, other parts of Delta, and Edo State.

Exhibits recovered from them include two Toyota Camry cars (LND-809-HE and KSF-61-JU) and 16 suspected stolen iPhones. Preliminary investigations revealed that the group had defrauded victims of over N23 million, stolen 42 iPhones, several motorcycles, and targeted at least 12 women.

In a related development, the command also arrested five suspects for stealing ladders in the Ekpan area of the state.

Edafe explained that the DPO Ekpan Division acted on repeated complaints from residents about hired ladders not being returned. On August 22, 2025, detectives arrested one Esquire Stanley, who confessed to selling the stolen ladders at N25,000 each.

Further investigation led to the arrest of suspected receivers Chinedu Okorie, Orgi Abara, Philip Augustine, and Obone Jevweu. A total of 11 stolen ladders were recovered.

The police said investigations were ongoing and assured residents that efforts to curb such criminal activities in the state would be sustained.