The Plateau State Police Command has uncovered an alleged academy for training internet fraudsters, commonly known as “Yahoo boys,” in the Rantya community of Jos South Local Government Area. The operation led to the arrest of 11 suspects believed to be involved in running and participating in the illegal training centre.
According to the police, the suspects were apprehended in an apartment rented by those who allegedly led the scheme. During a press briefing on Wednesday, Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, detailed the successful raid, which followed a tip-off from concerned residents.
“These suspects were arrested alongside others involved in different criminal activities, including armed robbery, kidnapping, and gunrunning,” Adesina said while parading the suspects at the command headquarters.
Explaining the circumstances of the arrest, the commissioner noted, “On October 20, 2024, at around 10:30 am, we received a report that two individuals, Ateh Anthony Idoko and Daniel Idoko, both aged 23 and residents of Agingi, Rukuba Road, conspired to traffic young boys, mostly recent secondary school graduates, to a secluded location. There, the boys were detained, their phones confiscated, and they were coerced into learning and executing various cyber fraud schemes, including romance scams.”
Adesina further revealed, “If any of the recruits refused to comply, they were mercilessly beaten with a horsewhip by the ringleaders. Acting swiftly on this information, the Divisional Police Officer of Rantya Division, under my direct supervision, mobilized officers to raid the hideout, resulting in the arrest of 11 suspects, including the two principal suspects.”
During the press briefing, the head of the illegal training centre, Ateh Anthony, a 300-level student at the University of Jos, admitted to the crime. He confessed, “Yes, we were teaching them how to defraud people online through cybercrime. All those who came to the house did so voluntarily. No one was forced. There are 17 of us in the apartment, and we restricted the students from leaving to avoid attracting police attention.”
The Plateau State Commissioner of Police called on the public to continue cooperating with law enforcement agencies to help combat crime in the state. He also reiterated the police’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and ensuring the safety and security of citizens.
The suspects are currently in custody, and investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of their involvement in cyber fraud and related criminal activities. Additional charges are expected to be filed as the investigation progresses.
