Press statement from RRS
A
54-year-old man, Michael Bisa, who is an expert in swindling members of
the public by disguising to be selling a mobile phone, was arrested by
operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS). He was arrested along
Oshodi-Apapa Expressway over the weekend at about 17:50 hours when the
police suspected his movement on sighting him. Items such as fake
phones, key soap cut to size, shirts, sum amount of money, packet of
envelopes and cut to size cartons were recovered from him.
He is a
native of Delta State and confessed to the crime. He claimed that it
was poverty that led him into the act of defrauding innocent public. He
explained the tactics that he uses to swindle his victims under false
pretense, “What I usually do is called Exchange. My prospective victims
will have the mind of buying handset from me but unknowingly to them I
would have changed the real handset to soap wrapped with cut to size
carton put inside an envelope. I will engage them in discussion after
showing them real phone initially, and in the process of bargaining for
the price, I will change it with the aid of white handkerchief to fake
phone. And I will tell them to keep the phone inside their pockets
immediately that people are watching us…. He narrated further", As soon
as they left the spot, I will change my clothe to another for uneasy
recognition in case he discovers the trick in miles away that he has
been duped.”
The suspect, who had fathered four children from
three different women, further explained "I was a refrigerator
technician in Uvwie LGA, Effuru in Delta State. I came to Lagos to look
for greener pastures about 15 years ago, but my expectations were dashed
when situations got so hard for me in the center of excellence. I met
one guy then, Hakeem Tijani, he is late now, and he was the one that
introduced this act of stealing to me. Since that time, about 4 years
ago now, this act of stealing has been my only source of livelihood… My
first wife taught me how to smoke all sorts of hard drugs including
cocaine. She died sometimes ago from the complications she suffered due
to much intake of hard drug", he said.
The Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Joe
Offor, warned the general public to be weary of individuals and shops
where they purchase their mobile phones in order not to fall victim of
con men. The suspect was charged to court immediately.
Title : RRS arrested 54 year old man for swindling Lagosians
Description : Press statement from RRS A 54-year-old man, Michael Bisa, who is an expert in swindling members of the public by disguising to be sel...
