Police discover yahoo academy, arrest 11 suspects
The Plateau State Police Command has uncovered an academy for training internet fraudsters, commonly known as Yahoo boys, in the Rantya community of Jos South Local Government Area. Eleven suspects were arrested during the operation.
The command stated that the suspects were apprehended in an apartment believed to have been rented by the leaders of the training center.
While presenting the suspects at the command headquarters on Wednesday, Plateau State Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Adesina revealed that the center was discovered following a tip-off from concerned citizens.
The suspects were paraded alongside others involved in various criminal activities, including armed robbery, kidnapping, and gunrunning in the state.
Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Adesina recounted the incident, stating, “On October 20, 2024, at about 10:30 a.m., we received a report that two individuals, Ateh Anthony Idoko and Daniel Idoko, both 23 years old from Agingi, Rukuba Road, conspired to traffic young boys who had just graduated from secondary school to a secluded residence.
“They locked them up, seized their phones, and taught them how to masterfully defraud people through romance scams and other cyber-related frauds. Those who refused to cooperate were mercilessly beaten with a horsewhip.”
He added, “Upon receiving this information, the Divisional Police Officer of Rantya Division, under my strict directive, immediately mobilized officers and raided the hideout, leading to the arrest of 11 suspects, including the two principal offenders.”
Speaking to journalists, Ateh Anthony, the head of the center and a 300-level student at the University of Jos, admitted to the crime.
“Yes, we are teaching them how to defraud people. It is cyber crime. All those brought to the house agreed to participate voluntarily. We did not force anyone. There are 17 of us in the apartment, and we don’t allow the students to go out because we want to keep this operation hidden from the police,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police urged citizens to cooperate with security agencies to combat all forms of criminality in the state.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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