Police have arrested six suspects who allegedly hired sick person to beg for alms in Oba area of Anambra state, a statement by the Police said.
According to the statement released on Thursday 17th April, 2025, by the Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, a joint Security Team comprising Police from Oba Divisional Police Headquarters and Anambra Vigilante Operatives on 16th April 2025 at 6.30 pm during a raid in an uncompleted building at Isu village, Oba arrested the six suspects who allegedly hired sick persons to beg for alms from members of the public.
SP Tochukwu Ikenga who shared photo of some of the proceeds from the act, gave the suspects names as Doris Basil ‘f’ aged 28 years, Peter Ezedike ‘m’ aged 38 years, Susan Monday ‘f’ aged 27 years Ogechi Okoro ‘f’ aged 27 years, Solomon Sunday ‘m’ aged 29 years and Kenneth Achi ‘m’ aged 29 years.
The Operatives also recovered six mobile phones and Eighty-two thousand, four hundred naira (N82, 400) in denominations of #50, #100 and #200 Naria notes and took in safe custody four ill persons from appearance suffering from brain tumour, breast cancer, and other terminal sicknesses. The Operatives also provided first aid for the sick persons and sought higher intervention for their treatment and safe return to their various homes.
“The Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu noted that Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act deals with obtaining property by false pretense, also known as “419 fraud”. It is a felony that carries a potential penalty of three years imprisonment and expresses concern about the level of moral decay of individuals who take undue advantage of sick persons. He further directs the immediate interrogation of the relatives of those sick persons to ascertain their culpability” the statement added.
All the suspects would be charged to Court on conclusion of the investigations.