Twin brothers, 25 others arrested for alleged yahoo business
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
Operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday arrested 28 persons suspected to be “Yahoo-Yahoo Boys” in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital.
The arrest, which was effected at Mandate Area, Ilorin followed actionable intelligence on the activities of fraudsters operating in the area.
Preliminary investigation revealed the identity of the arrested suspects to include a cleric, twin brothers, six students of various institutions, mining operator and a host of other specialized private individuals.
They are Toheeb Albarka, cleric; Lambe Kehinde and Lambe Taye, twin brothers; Francis Stephen, Olabode Yusuf and Musbaudeen Akorede who trade in dog selling respectively; Moshood Okunola, Kayode Aderemi, Ayobami Olorunfemi, Paul Ayomide, Agboola Marvellous and Adebisi Olatunde, who are all undergraduates.
The suspects also include Olaleye Solomon, Miner; Akinade Samuel, Computer Technician; Damilola Shagaya, Real Estate Developer; Muhammed Awal, Graphic Designer; Adam Mubarak, Anti-Money Laundering Analyst; Ogundiran Nathaniel, Tiler; Jamiu Ishola, Printer; Dauda Tunde, Plumber; Abdullahi Sikiru, Bet Naija Agent; Kasali Afeez Adegoke, Website Developer; Jordan Adeyinka, Wears/Shoe Dealer and a driver, Ojeniyi Boluwatife.
Others are Adedamola Samson, Olarewaju Adisa Taofeek, Adewale Oloro and Omogbolahan Ibrahim
Items recovered from the suspects include ten exotic cars, different brands of laptops and cell phones, printer among others.
The suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigations.
Meanwhile, Justice Muhammed Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State has convicted and sentenced one Buba Muhammed, a 37-year-old truck-driver, to one-year imprisonment for possession of solid minerals without lawful authority.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the truck used as means of transportation of the illegally acquired minerals to the Federal Government as they were confirmed by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), to be lepidolite, montmorillonite and chrysocolla. Lepidolite is one of the raw materials usually transported outside the country for production of batteries for vehicles, cell phones, cameras and other electronic devices.
It would be recalled that Zonal Commander, EFCC, Ilorin Command, Michael Nzekwe, had repeatedly warned operators in the mining sector in the state against illegal mining activities and non-payment of royalties to the Federal Government, which he described as “acts of economic sabotage.”
Muhammed a father of six with two wives began his journey to the Nigerian Correctional Centre on August 30, 2022, when he was arrested by operatives of EFCC, while acting on credible intelligence at Lade, Pategi Local Government Area.
He was one of 13 suspects arrested by operatives of the EFCC on the said date, while trying to transport a truckload of assorted crude minerals for sale outside the state.
He was prosecuted on one-count charge by the anti-graft agency, to which he pleaded guilty upon arraignment
