Kogi guber: Bureau de change operators lose N310million

■ They told us that money was meant to rig the election –Victims

Some bureau de change opera­tors in Abuja are now count­ing their losses following N310million lost to armed hoodlums who pretended to be opera­tives of the Department of State Secu­rity (DSS), even as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has commenced manhunt for the fleeing suspects.

Saturday Sun reliably learnt that the suspected robbers who are now at large, last Friday lured the bureau de change operators to a house at Maitama, Abuja under the pretext that they

wanted to change US dollars worth N310million.

They assured them that the said amount was urgently needed to be taken to Kogi State for the governorship election taking place there the following day, Saturday.

On getting to the house at Maitama, about four heavily armed men dressed in DSS vests and military camouflage rounded them up claiming that they were under arrest.

Three policemen hired by the bureau de change operators to escort them to the house were said to have left the com­pound when the armed men presented identity cards which showed that they were DSS operatives.

As soon as they left, the armed men collected the entire money and other valu­ables and fled the house in a Hilux van.

Narrating their ordeal, one of the af­fected bureau de change operators who gave his name as Alhaji Sani said that they received a call from a man who claimed that he is a politician and that he was sent to mop up money to rig the Kogi election.

“He told us that he has dollars to sell and that he needed about N310, 000 mil­lion cash to proceed to Kogi that Friday night. We felt that he was genuine con­sidering the fact that Kogi election was indeed the next day and politicians are always in need of cash. Secondly the rate that he agreed to sell the dollar was so tempting.

“And finally when he asked us to come to a house at the highbrow Maitama area, we felt that we were dealing with a re­sponsible person. To be on safe side, we even hired three policemen to escort us to the house.

“When we got there, the gateman opened the door and ushered us into the compound. We were about to enter the house when armed men dressed in DSS uniform stepped out of the house and arrested us. They presented their iden­tity card and told the policemen with us to leave the compound that we were suspects in a case of money laundering. The police quickly left and the robbers took the entire money, tied our hands and legs, entered the Hilux van that was in the compound and disappeared. The security man also packed his bag and left the com­pound,” he narrated.

Confirming the story, FCT police com­mand spokesperson, ASP Manzah Jesse Anjuguri said that investigation into the incident was on going, promising that the perpetrators will be brought to face the wrath of the law.

Meanwhile a senior officer in the com­mand told Saturday Sun that some sus­pects have already been arrested and have told the police how the theft was plotted and carried out. He explained that one of the suspects insisted that the DSS and military men involved were still in active service.

“The suspect alleged that the DSS men were attached to the house of one of the nation’s high ranking public of­fice holders (names withheld by us). They have been arrested and are being interrogated. We are also hunting for the husband of a popular presenter in one of the National Television stations who also actively participated in the act. Initially the female presenter fled their house in Abuja when they learnt of the manhunt. Upon realising that hiding was about to ruin her career, she handed herself over to the police in company with two law­yers.

“She told the police that she was not aware that her husband of three years had suddenly become a criminal. The mother of two also promised to help the police pick her husband, when seen”, the police source stated.