Ogun Police disowns circulating ‘list of Yahoo boys’

The Ogun State Police Command has disowned a purported list of suspected cyber criminals which has been circulating on social media, and allegedly compiled by the command.

The list which is tagged “Compiled List of Profiled Cyber Suspects” and signed by one ACP Yahaya Wakilu concerned 31 names and locations of persons suspected to be internet fraudsters, otherwise known as ‘Yahoo Boys’

In a statement signed by the State’s Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the command described the list as “fake” and urged members of the public to disregard it.

Oyeyemi who claimed that the list did not emanate from the command, stressed that it must have been compiled and circulated by extortionists who might want to exploit the listed persons.

He explained that the command has no Assistant Commissioner of Police named Yahaya Wakilu who signed the touted list.

The statement reads in part, “The attention of Ogun State Police Command has been drawn to a purported compiled list of suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, circulating on social media and alleged to have emanated from the Ogun state police command.

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“The command would have ignored the said list, but for the fact that some extortionists may use it as an opportunity to turn those on the list to easy prey, hence the need to alert the public that the list did not emanate from the command.

“To start with, the command has no Assistant Commissioner of police with name Yahaya Wakilu who signed the said list.

“It is also worth of note that no Assistant Commissioner of Police serving under a Deputy Commissioner of Police will use red pen to sign any document.”

The command’s spokesman added that the phone number on the fake police letterhead used to compile the list is that of a retired Commissioner of Police, who was one time, the DC Operations in the Command.

Oyeyemi appealed to members of the public to disregard the said list as “the Ogun state Police command has nothing to do with it, it is nothing but a fake news.”

By Oluwatobi Odeyinka

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