Police in Oyo State have arrested three persons for swindling a bank cashier, Oyewole Olabisi, of N16 million with the promise of doubling the money for him.

The suspects, Lawal Wale (34), Saheed Nojeem (34), and Sodiq Mubarak (30), were paraded yesterday at the state Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan by the state new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Shina Olukolu.

They were arrested by detectives following a report that some hard currencies were missing from the vault of a new generation bank in Ijebu-Ode allegedly stolen by the cashier.

Olukolu, while parading the suspects along with some others arrested for other sundry offences, said investigation led the team to a Bureau de Change operator in Ibadan (Treasure Harmony Bureau de Change) from where the banker obtained $20,000. The team eventually apprehended the syndicate.

“The syndicate, which specialised in defrauding unsuspecting victims seeking money rituals, was smashed by our team of detectives. They defrauded Oyewole Olabisi, a cashier working with a new generation bank in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. The syndicate hypnotised him and defrauded him of a huge sum both in local and foreign currencies to the tune of N16 million.

“They promised to double the money for him. He obtained a sum of US20,000 from Treasure Harmony Bureau de Change in Ibadan through his wife. He secretly stole some hard currencies from the vault of the bank. When report was made to us, our men got the three suspects arrested,” Olukolu said.

The commissioner also disclosed that a syndicate specialised in trading in Indian hemp was smashed at Sando village, Igangan town in Oke Ogun area of the state.

According to him, 150 bags of the weeds abandoned after shooting duel were recovered by the police.

He said: “Our men at Ayete Division were alerted on 6th February, 2019 and about 12.45a.m., they stormed the area where the smugglers had converged.

“They engaged our men in a fierce gun duel. Our men overpowered them and they abandoned the Indian hemp and ran into the bush with bullet injuries. The 150 bags of the Indian hemp were later conveyed to the station. We are still on their trail.”

Olukolu promised that all the suspects would soon be charged to court for diligent prosecution.

•Sourced from a New Telegraph report

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