Jigawa Police Command  said it had arrested five suspects for allegedly defrauding people in banks through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in Dutse.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdu Jinjiri disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Wednesday.

He said the suspects were apprehended during “Operation Flush Out”  which was carried out recently in the state.

“During the operation we arrested one Rilwanu Sambo, 31 and his wife Sadiya Rilwanu, 29, from Bauchi state for defrauding people in banks through Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in Dutse,” he said.

Jinjiri said another person Yusuf Aminu, 28, from Borno, was also arrested for the same offence while Zakari Saidu, 25, from Yola, Adamawa, Auwalu Musa, 25, from Birnin Kudu were also apprehended for theft.

He explained that based on complaints received from members of the public, the command drafted plain cloth policemen around the banks in the state capital where the culprits were arrested.

“It was based on aggressive patrols and visibility policing across the state that yielded the good result.

“The suspects were apprehended at the Eco Bank with Eco ATM cards belonging to one Hauwa Mustapha whom they promised to assist withdraw money for her but fraudulently stole the card and withdrew the sum of N28, 000 from her account.

He said investigation revealed that the suspected also defrauded Sani Garba and Aminu Umar of their ATM cards by using the same trick and stole N45, 000 and N50, 000 respectively from their respective accounts.

“It was further gathered that the suspect used two cards belonging to one Alhaji Auwalu to withdraw the sum of N435, 000 from the victims account.”

“The ATM cards and the sum of N155, 000 were recovered as exhibits from the suspects while investigation on the cases were still ongoing, “he said.

The PPRO said “Furthermore, the police have arrested one Yusuf Aminu with Diamond Bank ATM card who attempted to steal N20, 000 belonging to one Auwalu Haruna, the suspect confessed to have conspired with one Ibudu now at large.

He stated that luck also ran out of one Zakari Saidu as he was sighted and arrested around Takur Adua in Dutse metropolis while trying to steal a Corolla car with Registration number RSA 965 PU in the area.

Jinjiri said that the patrol team in collaboration with the security men at the Federal University, Dutse were able to apprehend the hoodlums who specialised in motorcycle theft pointing out that in the process Auwalu Musa from Birninkudu was arrested.

The PPRO noted that most of the thieves terrorizing the state came from neighbouring states to carry out their nefarious activities in the state.