Adekunbi Ero
Troops of the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, in Benin City, have raided a massive crime and ritual syndicate’s hideout in Benin City, and arrested 31 suspects. Leading the operation, the Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Ebenezer Oduyebo, said the troops, acting on a tip-off, stormed a building within First Bank Estate, called Awesome Garden, located along the Benin-Sapele By-Pass in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, where they also arrested victims of the bizarre cybercrime and ritual-related criminal enterprise and recovered a Toyota vehicle, several smartphones, laptops, cash, a pot of shrine, fetish materials, and other incriminating valuables linked to their activities.TELL reports that those arrested have been handed over to the the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further interrogation and prosecution.
Already, preliminary investigations have revealed that many of the suspects were lured to the location by the syndicate’s leader, identified as Mr. Marvin Osabuohien, who is currently on the run.Osabuohien was said to have promised his victims lucrative job offers abroad, only to force them into a web of criminal operations, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and cyber fraud.
Investigations also revealed that many of the victims were from different parts of the country and had been detained in the building for periods ranging between one and two years without freedom of movement, living under fear and manipulation.An impressed Brigadier-General Oduyebo commended the troops and other collaborating security agencies for their bravery, vigilance, and continued commitment to keeping Edo State free from criminal elements.According to him, “The Brigade remains fully committed to its mission of ensuring safety and security for all residents of Edo State. This operation is a clear warning to criminal syndicates that their days are numbered”.
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