The police in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, have detained three people for allegedly scamming four citizens of more than N81 million in food grains.
Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, 44, of Anguwan Sanusi, Kaduna; Sunday Ezra Haruna, 35; and Ishaku Abdulsalam, 40, of Kano’s Hotoro Ward, were detained for criminal conspiracy, defrauding, and criminal breach of trust, respectively.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly specialised in disguising themselves as non-governmental organisation personnel in order to purchase grains for distribution in internally displaced persons’ camps without immediate monetary payment.
According to a statement released by the Yobe State Police Command’s spokesman, Dungus Abdulkarim, the arrest followed a complaint received by Ibrahim Mohammed and Abubakar Usman of Abasha Word, Damaturu, that one Mohammed Modu of Nayi Nawa Ward, Damaturu, collected 180 bags of maize valued at N7.4 million, which Modu was unable to pay for within the agreed-upon number of days.
“The suspects specialised in luring unsuspecting victims, mostly farmers and marketers, into a contract to buy food items by disguising and presenting themselves as NGO workers, deceiving the victims into buying without cash in hand, demanding large quantities of their goods, and making false promises to pay after supplying to a specific destination in Borno, Yobe, or any other location of choice under the guise of donating the grains to an IDP camp.
“After a supply, they will ask the victims to wait for payment, but then sell the grains at a giveaway price without the victim(s)’ knowledge and flee with the cash, leaving the victim(s) in shallow anticipation.
“They (the suspects) sever all communications with the victims,” the state stated.
According to the statement, the four victims were Mohammed Modu of Nayi Nawa Ward, who allegedly lost N7.4 million in maize, and Ibrahim Mohammed and Abubakar Usman of Abasha Ward, who allegedly lost N22 million to the accused.
Other victims included Alhaji Arma Yau Yahaya of Bauchi State, who allegedly lost N29.995 million in rice, and Ishaku Salihu Chaptu of Mangu, Plateau State, who allegedly lost N22 million in maize.
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