The Delta State Police Command has disclosed that operators of an Internet fraud academy, where over 100 teenagers were arrested by the Nigerian Army, lured their victims with promises of training in Bitcoin and forex trading. According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, many of the teenagers were unaware that they were being recruited into a cybercrime operation, known as a “Hustling Kingdom.”
The arrests were made after soldiers from the 3rd Battalion Nigerian Army Barracks stormed an estate in the Warri area, detaining over 100 suspected internet fraudsters. The suspects, most of whom were teenagers, were handed over to the police for further investigation.
The arrest followed a tip-off from one of the suspects who contacted his family, leading them to alert the military. Edafe explained that the teenagers were deceived by social media agents flaunting fake wealth, who convinced them to join the academy under the pretense of learning Bitcoin and forex trading. Once at the academy, they were physically abused and exploited.
As of now, the police are still investigating whether the operators of the fraudulent school have been arrested. The case is part of an ongoing crackdown on internet fraud in the country, with similar operations being carried out, including a recent arrest of 48 internet fraudsters in Abia State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
