One Chance: Police Rescue 81-year-Old Akwa Ibom Pensioner

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have busted a criminal syndicate specialising in robbing, raping and kidnapping their victims after hypnotising them with charms and taking them to a secluded location disguised as commercial tricycle operators.

Members of the syndicate, which operates within the Uyo metropolis and its environs, the police spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, told journalists yesterday at the state command headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo, deceived unsuspecting passengers with “one chance” as a bait.

Under such guise, an oblivious victim, simply identified as one Friday, an 81-year-old pensioner, was caught in the web by the fraudsters, but was lucky to be rescued by vigilant operatives, who smashed the gang and apprehended the three ring-leaders following a tip-off.

She said, “The Akwa Ibom State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that operatives of the command, acting on credible intelligence, dismantled a suspected fraud syndicate operating within Uyo metropolis and its environs.

“The intelligence, provided by a concerned and public-spirited individual, revealed the activities of a group of fraudsters, locally referred to as “Utotoh” in local parlance, who allegedly specialised in deceiving unsuspecting members of the public.

“The suspects reportedly used an operational tricycle to lure and convey victims, after which they employed deceptive and diabolical means to dispossess them of their monies and other valuables.

“Acting swiftly on the information, operatives of the command swung into action and arrested three suspects,” she stated.

She named the suspects now in police custody as Otoabasi Ekpeyong, 51; Ubong Sylvanus, 42 and Sunday Akpan, 60.

“During the operation, a victim identified as one Friday, an 8-year-old pensioner, was rescued unhurt from the suspects. Also recovered from the suspects was their operational tricycle, with registration number UFG-886-QA, without a motor number.

“The suspects confessed to the crime, admitting that they had fraudulently obtained money and property from several individuals within Uyo and surrounding areas,” She said.