Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) of the South-east Zone had on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 arrested 37 suspected internet fraudsters in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
They were arrested following a raid on some targeted residences in Okwu Urata, Aladinma and Egbu areas of the State.
The Commission’s had an intelligence information that figured out that, the suspects were living lavish lifestyles without any known means of livelihood, claimed further that they engaged in defrauding unsuspecting victims, through the internet.
Items recovered from them include laptop computers,
25 five exotic cars, which include several brands of Mercedez-Benz, Lexus, Toyota and costly mobile phones, were also recovered.
Speaking on the development, the Zonal Head, Usman Imam, said the exercise was in line with the Commission’s respond over the decried of the high rate of cybercrime in the zone which he blamed on the erosion and breakdown of country’s values.
“It is true that no society has been able to totally eradicate crime, but we are ready at least to reduce it to the barest minimum and it appears that this cybercrime is one of the challenges of our time, which the EFCC is willing to face drastically,” Imam said.
Questioning the lifestyle of the suspects, Iman said; “What is the business of a university student, a new graduate or youth corper looking for money to buy a car of N10 million? Obviously, this is rushing life and a collapse of our positive value system where people rarely want to start from a humble beginning,” Imam added.
Usman stress that if Government did do anything the situation, the country’s leadership could be jeopardized because the youths which were involved in cybercrimes today’s are expected to take up leadership positions in the future.
He conclude by saying that The suspects who volunteered their statements under caution will be charged to court as soon to investigate into the case.
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