How I Was Duped Inside Lagos Taxi

A victim of a three-man
syndicate that specialises in
swindling unsuspecting
members of the public by
pretending to have their
goods seized by the Nigerian
Customs has told the police
how she was duped of
N9,000.

Chiwenu Ibeh said she was
going to Ojodu Berger from
Ojota, in Lagos, when a taxi
driver, in an ash-coloured
Toyota Camry 1997 model
with registration number
SMK 886 DK, stopped at the
bus stop to pick her.
“As he drove along, he picked
another passenger on Kudirat
Abiola Way,” said Mrs. Ibeh.
“We were still on Kudirat
Abiola Way when the new
passenger started a
conversation in something
like French language with the
driver.”
Mrs. Ibeh said the driver
then pleaded with her that he
wants to take the new
passenger to Custom’s Office
on Mobolaji Bank Anthony
Way, where his goods were
seized.
“It was here that their story
changed and I became the
subject of their manipulation
in connivance with a Customs
agent and a pastor,” she said.
“Under the pretext that the
four of us assist the man
whose goods were trapped
with the Customs over export
duties, they brainwashed me
into releasing my ATM card,
led me to withdraw the last
N9,000 from my account.
“After this, the pastor prayed for me and
told me to go home and get more money
my family kept at home.”
Mrs. Ibeh said the incident occurred last
week.
“On Thursday, my husband and I were
standing at the Maryland Bus Stop,” she
continued.
“I saw the same Toyota Camry with same
number plate and a new driver, but
beside it was the former driver that
lured me into fraud, pretending to be
passenger.
“I alerted RRS officers stationed in
Maryland and they arrested them.”
In a statement on Sunday, the police said
they arrested the driver, Kenneth
Umukoro, 36, and his accomplice, Uba
Utokcha, 41.
The police said they also arrested two
other suspects, Joseph Onuoha and
Ikechukwu Okeke separately but in
similar circumstances on Tuesday and
Wednesday last week respectively.
Mr. Onuoha told interrogators that he
belonged to a fraud syndicate led by one
man simply identified as Toronto (who
is now at large), who trained over 40 of
them to go out daily in search of would-
be victims, the police statement said.
“When we hit jackpot, we share it into
five parts. Toronto takes two parts. Two
of us in a team share two and we would
share the remaining part to others,” the
statement quoted Mr. Onuoha, 40, as
saying.
“Presently, our office in Ajegunle has
been busted by the police. Toronto as I
was told has relocated to somewhere in
Surulere. Whenever we have issues with
the police, he comes around to secure
our bail.”
Dolapo Badmus, the Police Public
Relations Officer, said the police would
not relent in their duties of making the
state crime free and warned members of
the public to be wary of suspicious
dealings.
The police said the four suspects have
been transferred to the State Criminal
Investigation Department (SCID), Panti.