The police command in Ekiti said it had arrested a herbalist, Nurudeen Ibrahim, for obtaining N10.4 million under false pretences.

In a statement, ASP Sunday Abutu, the command’s spokesperson, said Mr Ibrahim was among 30 suspects arrested over various crimes across the state in recent times.

Mr Abutu attributed the feat achieved by the command to the cooperation from members of the public, especially those who volunteered timely and useful information that led to the arrests.

He said Mr Ibrahim, a native of Aramoko-Ekiti, was arrested for defrauding a 50-year-old businesswoman of Ogundele Street, Agbado in Ogun, of N10.4 million.

He said the suspect also raped his victim severally.

According to him, the victim explained that she met Ibrahim in Aramoko-Ekiti sometime in Sept. 2019 when her business was retrogressing and was told to meet him for some rituals to make her business bounce back and remain stable.

“She narrated that between Sept. 2019 and 2021, the herbalist collected N8 million through bank transfers and additional N2.4 million cash from her as the cost of the rituals,” the police officer added. “She further said that the suspect had unlawful carnal knowledge of her more than three times since then and threatened that she will die if she informs anyone, including her husband.”

The command’s spokesperson said the victim decided to open up to her family members after noticing negative signs all over her body.

“The suspect admitted that he only collected N8 million from her in order to assist her in prayers that will boost her business,” he said.

Mr Abutu said a gang of armed robbers on August 5 stormed Fayose Market, broke into different shops, and carted items such as mobile phones, laptops, computers and phone accessories.

He said the investigation by the command led to the arrest of Isa Muhammad, Yakubu Ibrahim, AbdulWaheed Ismaila, aka Bigger of Niger Republic and Akinmonrin Ibukun of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, in their criminal hideout in Lagos.

According to him, the suspects confessed to the commission of the crime.

“They also confessed to have earlier burgled a phone shop in Oye-Ekiti where they stole many iPhones and a store in Ikole-Ekiti where they carted away many items,” the police explained. “The suspects revealed that they met at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos, as convicts, where they discussed and formed the gang. They were all released from prison in March 2022 and immediately started the robbery operations.”

Mr Abutu said 15 different stolen phones and some offensive weapons were recovered from them. According to him, the command’s Rapid Response Squad, through credible information, also arrested Ali Ibrahim and Abubakar Sidi for kidnapping Yinusa Yakubu at the Oke-Ako community in Ikole-Ekiti on July 20.

He said the suspects allegedly robbed their victim of N400,000 cash and collected a ransom of N900,000 from his family before he was set free.

(NAN)