Operatives from the Advance Fee Fraud Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested 25 students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, for alleged involvement in cybercrime, including romance scam, possession of forged documents and obtaining money by false pretences.
The students, aged between 18 and 29, were arrested in their off-campus hostels following raids carried out between Monday and Thursday by the operatives.
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday that the raids were based on an intelligence report and months of surveillance and monitoring of the suspects’ activities.
Those apprehended include Pelumi Adigun, 18; Umaru Frederick, 21; Damilola Emmanuel, 22; Tomiwa Oyewole, 29; Adeleke Owolabi, 24; Abdullahi Oladosu, 23; Abdulmusaq Ismail, 25; Joshua Isajimi, 23; Tunde Olaniyan, 22; and Francis Ebosele, 28.
“During the search, Ismail, who confessed to involvement in Internet fraud, took the operatives round the hostels, leading to the arrest of many of the culprits,” the statement said.
“Some of the suspects, who jumped over fences to escape arrest, were also nabbed in the process.”
Items recovered from the suspects, which are believed to be proceeds of their illegal online activities, include a 4matic Mercedes Benz, a Toyota Camry, a Toyota Corolla, two Macbook computers, two iPads, two iPhones and documents, which the EFCC noted would be subjected to forensic analysis.
EFCC said the suspected fraudsters would soon be arraigned.