Metro
EFCC operatives arrest fake satellite TV operators in Rivers
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Saturday arrested five suspected fake satellite television operators in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the suspects – Davidson Onuoha; Emeka Samuel; Eze Francis Sunny Amadi, Terkura Zungwem Verinica and Evangelist Alex Umanah – were arrested in a simultaneous raid on their companies in the Rivers State capital.
“Their arrest followed several weeks of intense intelligence on the suspects, their residences and operations by operatives of the EFCC,” he said.
The suspects, according to him, were allegedly rebroadcasting content of the Digital Satellite Television(DSTV) illegally in their companies.
Uwujaren added: “The companies are CANTV at Aba Road, Port Harcourt, METROTV at Rivers State Television Complex, Eagle Avenue, Iriebe, Port Harcourt and Cable Trends Limited( CTL) at Eleme Junction, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
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“Items recovered from the suspects include GOTV Decoders; Star times Decoders; DSTV Decoder; Free to Air Decoder (Strong), Consat Decoder and One Direct Decoder. Others are Encoder, Switches, Central Processing Units( CPU) and Monitors.
“The suspects would be charged to court when investigations are concluded. Port Harcourt’s Zonal Head of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, cautions the general public to be wary of the operations of illegal satellite operators stressing that there are rising cases of such activities across the country.”
The EFCC has intensified its efforts to rid the country of fraud and other sharp practices following the recovery of $314,000 (N373,000,00) from perpetrators of computer-related frauds by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in the United States.
The EFCC operatives are still on the trail of the perpetrators, who are mostly Nigerians.
The agency had also arrested over 50 suspected internet fraudsters across the country in the last few weeks.
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