Police arrest POS operator over ₦4.2m fraud, robbery in Akwa Ibom

Operatives from the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested a syndicate for the illegal withdrawal of ₦4.2m using Automatic Teller Machine in Uyo, the State capital.

The arrest followed a petition received by the Command on November 20, 2025, detailing an incident that occurred a day earlier along Uruan Street in Uyo.

According to the petition, the female complainant was waiting to board a commercial vehicle when a saloon car stopped and offered her a ride, unaware that the occupants were members of a criminal syndicate.

It was gathered that the suspects later diverted from the intended route, produced a firearm and forcefully robbed the victim using her Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card to transfer money from her account after she was made to disclose her Personal Identification Number.

Timfon John, DSP, the Command’s Spokesperson, who disclosed this in a statement, said the syndicate reportedly hypnotised the victim before escorting her to her residence, where her home was ransacked and ₦900,000 in cash stolen.

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According to the statement, further investigation revealed that the syndicate withdrew an additional ₦3.3 million from the victim’s bank account using her ATM card, transferring the funds into multiple bank accounts.

The total amount was put at ₦4.2m, according to the PPRO.

Acting on intelligence, Police operatives on February 3, 2026, arrested one Benjamin Patrick, male, of No. 29 Ebong Isong Street, Uyo adding that his bank account and Point of Sale (POS) terminals were used to withdraw the stolen money within a five-minute interval, the statement added.

“The victim reportedly identified the suspect as one of the occupants of the vehicle used during the robbery.

“He is currently in police custody, during the investigation, three POS machines allegedly used in the illegal withdrawals were recovered.

“The Police said efforts were ongoing to dismantle the entire syndicate, recover the stolen funds and arrest other suspects involved in the crime, ” the PPRO stated.

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