Officers of the Nigeria Police Force that constitute the Lagos State Government crime combat team known as Rapid Response Squad (RRS) yesterday arrested five members of a 15-man syndicate which specialised in dollar counterfeiting and defrauding of members of the public.

Our correspondent learnt that the suspects identified as, Ade Oladele (32), Friday Philip (33), Israel Ibeh (35), Oyewole Thompson (30) and Onyegbuchi Godwin (31) were arrested in Oko Baba Sule and Wilma Bridge around Olodi – Apapa.

The syndicate, led by their gang leader, simply identified as Toronto, were alleged to have defrauded one Chioma Anozie of N210, 000.00 under the pretext of supplying her phones and laptops.

One of the notorious gang members, Oyewole Thompson, was said to have met Anozie in Mile 2 pretending to be a foreigner looking for a marketer to help sell off a huge consignment of mobile phones and laptops.

Before Anozie knew it, she was directed by the syndicate to bring money to get the consignment.

She said, “They told me to bring money. I paid them N210, 000.00 and thereafter I was asked to bring three live chickens in place of a newly born child’s head, a roll of white handkerchiefs and traditional soap for money making rituals.”

Confessing to the crime, Oyewole Thompson, one of the leaders of the gang said,” I was a clearing and forwarding agent before I joined this gang. I was introduced to this business by Sunny T. We wash money. We lie to people that we are foreigners.

“Our Chairman is Toronto, while other members of the gang are Emeka, Ifeanyi, Bobo, Onyinbo, they are still at large.”

Found with the suspects were several denominations of fake US dollars and four mobile phones.

Credit: Leadership