YENAGOA – The Bayelsa State Vigilante Service (BSVS) has made a significant breakthrough, apprehending a four-person gang accused of using charms to defraud unsuspecting Point of Sale (PoS) machine operators, business owners, and individuals within the Yenagoa metropolis. The Chairman of BSVS, Doubiye Alagba, confirmed the arrests on Tuesday in Yenagoa, identifying the suspects as Ufuoma John, Igwe White, Opeko Kennedy, and Sandra Erhirhis.
Alagba disclosed that the suspects were captured in Yenagoa and a small border community between Bayelsa and Rivers States, where they claimed to have acquired their charms from a local spiritual practitioner.
Handing over the suspects to the state’s security outfit, Operation Doo-Akpo, in Yenagoa for further investigation, Alagba stated that their apprehension was a result of complaints from several PoS operators and tricycle passengers about the gang’s mysterious activities. The BSVS chairman asserted that the arrests were made possible through diligent intelligence work.
According to Alagba, the criminals had previously used their charms to defraud a PoS operator named Micah Innocent of N400,000 and other valuables some months ago.
“The syndicates move from one PoS location to another, employing the same method to deceive their unsuspecting victims, including tricycle passengers,” Alagba explained.
“Once they approach their targets and successfully use the charm, the victims lose control of themselves, and the gang takes them to another location to collect all their money and valuables. In some instances, they even coerce the victims into transferring money to their accounts.”
“Our intelligence efforts led to the arrest of one member, who then led us to the residence of another gang member, a native doctor who prepares charms for them. That’s how we managed to apprehend all of them,” Alagba added confidently.
