Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
A money transfer fraudster, one Ikechuckwu Sunday Onovo whose stock in trade is to steal people’s ATM cards and then clear all monies in their accounts has been apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Makurdi Zonal office.
Sunday Sun gathered that the 32-year-old Onovo, an indigene of Nkanu-West Local Government of Enugu State, but resides in Makurdi was nabbed at one of the new generation banks in Otukpo, Benue State.
His modus oparandi, according to the EFCC’s Head, Public Affairs Unit in the zone, Mrs Nwanyinma Okeanu, included going to Benue State University (BSU) gate to report to the security on the pretense that he lost his ATM card.
Said Okeanu: “The unsuspecting security men would then hand over the pack of lost but found ATM cards of students to him to check if his own was among. And he would steal some of the cards.
“With the stolen cards, Onovo would hang around ATM points to offer help to people who have problems operating the machine and in the process, deliberately gives his victim his stolen card and takes his or her own. He would later go back to withdraw all his victim’s money.”
Okeanu revealed that during interrogation, the suspect disclosed that he had made more than N1million through the fraud adding that there were so many other young men in the crime, who are operating in different locations in the country.
According to her: “At the point of his arrest, the EFCC recovered two ATM cards (Diamond and FCMB), N15,000, ring, necklace and bracelets from him,” stressing that the suspect who was still in the custody of the EFCC would soon be charged to court.
