During a raid on a hideaway in Benin, officers of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade apprehended no less than 31 suspected criminals.
According to The Intercept, the raid happened at a building located in Awesome Garden’s First Bank Estate, which is part of Benin’s Benin-Sapele Bypass.
Brig-Gen Ebenezer Oduyebo, the Brigade Commander who oversaw the operation on Monday, stated that the raid was carried out in response to reliable information on the operations of a well-known fraud ring that was based there.
According to a statement from Capt. Chinonso Oteh, the brigade’s public relations officer, said the suspects were accused of robbery, abduction, cybercrime, and other crimes.
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A Toyota car, cellphones, computers, cash, fetish materials, and a pot of water said to be used for ceremonial rituals, were among the goods Oteh claimed as being retrieved from the location.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects had been lured into the compound by one Mr Marvin Osabunye, who is currently on the run, under the false promise of employment opportunities.
“Many of them ended up trapped in the building for one to two years without freedom of movement,” he said.
Oteh, however, added that the suspects and victims, along with all recovered items, had been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Benin Directorate Office, for further investigation and prosecution.
He said Brig-Gen. Oduyebo commended the troops and collaborating security agencies for the successful operation.
“This is a significant breakthrough and part of our ongoing efforts to rid Edo State of all forms of criminality,” he added
