Cybercrime: EFCC arrests 24 undergraduates, 12 others

The Ibadan Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 34 suspected internet fraudsters at 21, Sawmill Road AwaIjebu, Ogun State.

The suspects, mostly between 19 and 37 years, include: 23 students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, out of which nine were ladies who allegedly claimed to be girlfriends and or neighbours of some of the suspects.

A statement yesterday by acting spokesman of the EFCC, Tony Orilade, said one of the suspects is from the National Open University of Nigeria while 12 others are not students.

He said the commission got wind of their activities through series of intelligence alleging that the suspected fraudsters engaged in activities of obtaining money by false pretences through sending emails to unsuspecting victims mostly in the United States of America while others were engaged in romance scam on several dating sites.

He said EFCC operatives recovered over 300 SIM cards as well as different models and brands of exotic cars from the suspects.

Orilade said 18 laptops (nine Apple brand), 50 telephones (21 iPhones) and two bags of fetish objects (juju), several documents containing false pretences were also recovered from them.

He said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.