Fake Bank Alert: Police Arrests Suspected Kingpin In Lagos (Photo) WARNING!! Beware Of Sc

A middle-aged man, Pius Asomba,
suspected to be the leader of a
notorious syndicate that specialized
in dispossessing businessmen of
large sums of money through fake
bank alerts, has been arrested by the
police in Lagos.
The Anambra State-born suspect was
arrested after he jumped bail and
disappeared for over two years.
Police sources said the criminal
exploits of the suspect was blown
open on August 31, 2012, after he
went to one Engr. Moses Adebayo at
Alaba International market a major
distributor with Nigerchin
Development Company in Ikeja, and
placed an order for cables worth
N9.5 million.
According to the source, when he
was told to pay for the goods, he
claimed to be in a hurry and
promised to pay through his bank.
“After they finished loading the
goods around 4p.m., that day, the
owner received alert of N9.5million
from his bank, confirming prompt
payment and the suspect also called
to confirm payment. The owner of
the goods also corresponded with his
bank and it was confirmed, he
thereafter released the goods and
gave the suspect extra N50,000 for
transport expenses.”
The story, however, took a different
dimension when the owner of the
goods went to the bank few days
later only to be told that it was a
magic alert as nothing was paid into
his account. Based on this, the police
was alerted and they commenced
search for the suspect for over a
month without success.
Vanguard learned that while
detectives were looking for him, the
suspect went to the warehouse of
another trader at Okokomaiko to buy
iron worth about N4 million.
He succeeded also in deceiving them
with fake bank alert prompting the
involvement of both the police at
Okokomaiko and a private
investigator, who ended up arresting
him through his girlfriend living in
Egbeda area of Lagos State.
It was gathered that after his arrest,
he confessed to the crime and
promised to pay the money. He was,
however, taken to Magistrate court
at Agbo-Malu Road, Apapa, where he
presented three sureties.
He later jumped bail and efforts to
get the sureties failed. Fortunately,
after about two years of searching
for him, one of the sureties was
traced early this year and arrested.
The surety was granted bail with a
promise to produce the principal
suspect but he failed.
On November 30, 2015, the principal
suspect was arrested at Gowon Estate
where he has been hiding and
handed over to officials of court,
where he is being tried.
Meanwhile, it was learned that the
complainant was forced to close his
account with the bank after the
suspect confessed that he connived
with some officials of the bank to
dupe him. Police said detectives are
also investigating some officials of
the bank with a view to fishing out
all those involved in the fraud.
When contacted, Lagos State police
spokesman, Joe Offor, said the police
did their job by arresting the suspect
and charging him to court. He
assured that the matter would be
prosecuted to its logical conclusion.
Source: Vanguard