Police arrests member of syndicate defrauding fuel stations in Lagos

Police operatives in Lagos have arrested a suspected member of a syndicate defrauding fuel stations across the state.

The spokesman for the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest of the suspect to journalists on Thursday in Lagos.

He said operatives attached to the Isheri Police Division arrested the suspect after the manager of Enyo Filling Station located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reported the activities of the syndicate on May 17.

The spokesman said: “The manager reported that a man later identified as Anthony Ofikwu and others now at large were in the habit of buying fuel at the station with fake bank alerts.

“The complainant alleged that whenever the fraudsters come for their mission, they would, in addition to fake bank alerts, ask for cash transfers, which would be carried out on their behalf.

“However, all the transactions would later revert to them within minutes of their leaving the station.

“Detectives were mobilised to the scene where the suspect was intercepted and taken to the station.

“During interrogation, however, he confessed to being a member of a syndicate specialising in defrauding fuel stations.

“A total of 13 different bank ATM debit cards bearing different names were recovered from him.

“He has equally admitted that the syndicate had defrauded Enyo Filling Station to the tune of N5.1 million since their operations started.”