Police arrest eight over alleged phone theft, loan fraud in Gombe
Gombe State Police Arrest Eight for Alleged Phone Theft and Fraud
GOMBE, Nigeria — The Gombe State Police Command has arrested eight individuals in connection with the theft of mobile phones and subsequent fraudulent activities, officials announced on Sunday.
According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, the investigation was prompted by reports from residents of the Wuro Birji community in the Akko Local Government Area who claimed their mobile phones had been stolen.
Police allege that the suspects used the stolen devices to access their victims’ bank accounts, withdrawing a total of N296,790. In addition, it is claimed that they secured instant loans totaling N205,205 by exploiting the victims’ personal information.
The investigation led to the apprehension of 19-year-old Mustapha Kabiru, a Computer Science student at the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Kaltungo. Further inquiries revealed the identities of seven additional suspects, and authorities are continuing efforts to locate others who may be involved in the scheme.