The Kano State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a 22-year-old man, Ahmad Abdussalam, for alleged illegal possession of 22 registered Airtel SIM cards and activating 14 Fidelity Bank ATM cards, bearing different names.
The State Commandant of the Corps, Adamu Zakari, stated this in Kano, adding that the suspect went to rural areas to deceive people by opening bank accounts for them and sold the ATM cards to them at the sum of N300 each.
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He said operatives of the command while on duty on Saturday, March 12, sighted the suspect activating some ATM cards at Fidelity Bank.
“Our men suspected foul play against Abdussalam and he couldn’t provide a satisfactory account in connection with the 14 ATM cards found in his possession.
“Upon interrogation, he linked us to one Umar Surajo who, he said, was the mastermind of the crime.
“After further interrogation, Abdussalam confessed that he was introduced and employed into the deal by Umar Surajo who directed him to go to the bank and activate the cards at the ATM machine,” he said.
The commandant said another suspect, Muhammad Ali, an agent of Airtel, was also apprehended over the alleged crime.
“Our investigation revealed that those ATM cards were obtained from innocent villagers who don’t know the implications of selling their ATM cards.
The commandant warned the public against selling their ATM cards, stressing that investigation revealed that illegal ATM cards are used to perpetrate illicit acts, including terrorist financing, money laundering and payment of ransom to kidnappers among many other financial crimes.
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