A man claiming to be an agent of the Department of State Security (DSS) who stole a handbag that contained foreign currencies has been paraded.
Boniface Oburuku who impersonated men of the DSS for theft of a handbag belonging to an international female guest from the Republic of Mauritius has been arrested by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
It was revealed that the bag contained her two Samsung mobile phones, an international passport, United States Dollars, Nigerian and Mauritian currencies.
EFCC revealed further that, Oburuku committed the crime on June 11, 2019 at an event organised by the Commission to mark the year 2020 National Democracy Day and Anti-Corruption Summit at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, adding that the event had in attendance, President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian security chiefs, respected citizens and global leaders.
The anti-corruption agency disclosed that for over a year now, the suspect has been on the Commission’s watch list and was eventually arrested in Lagos few days ago.
The team leader, Counter-Terrorism and General Investigations Unit of the EFCC narrated how the suspect was tracked down, saying that the Commission swung into action through an intelligence on the suspect all over the country, which showed that he was constantly on the move from Mpape area of the FCT to Jabi and later to Gwagwalada, all in the FCT. He finally settled in Lagos where he was later arrested.
Further investigations revealed that to breach security at the day’s event, Oburuku dressed smartly in a black suit and claimed to be of the Department of State Security (DSS) and was allowed access into the venue by security agents on duty without presentation of an invite.
The suspect (Oburuku) while confessing to the crime, apologised to President Buhari, the EFCC and his Mauritian victim and called on others who are into fraudulent and criminal activities to turn a new leaf.
However, the Commission said it will soon charge the suspect to court.