Two suspected fraudsters nabbed in Adamawa with 23 ATM cards
Two men have been arrested in Adamawa State on suspicion of banking fraud, with authorities recovering 23 ATM cards during the operation.
The suspects, identified as Yusuf Maika, 50, and Abubakar Mustapha, 52, both residents of Jos, Plateau State, were apprehended by operatives from the Adamawa State Police Command’s State Intelligence Department. They are accused of defrauding one Yunusa Usman of ₦400,000 at an Access Bank ATM location in the state.
According to a statement from the police, the arrests followed a complaint made by the victim, which prompted an immediate response from bank staff on September 7, 2026.
SP Suleiman Nguroje, the Police Public Relations Officer, stated that preliminary investigations indicate the suspects specialize in targeting ATM users who encounter network or transaction issues. The suspects allegedly offer unsolicited assistance to these victims, observe their personal identification numbers (PINs), and then swap their ATM cards without their knowledge.
“After obtaining the victims’ cards, the suspects reportedly use a mobile POS machine to withdraw or transfer funds from their accounts,” Nguroje noted.
Items recovered from the suspects include 23 ATM cards issued by various banks, one Moniepoint POS machine believed to have been used to access victims’ accounts, and ₦400,000 in cash, reportedly derived from fraudulent activities.
During questioning, the suspects indicated that they traveled to Adamawa State from Jos last week with the intent to commit the crime. Nguroje confirmed that the suspects will remain in police custody and face charges in court upon conclusion of the investigation.
