LAGOS NOVEMBER 7TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Persons believed to be fraudsters operating within Asaba and its environs, Delta State have formed strategies to defraud unsuspecting members of the public through sales of water as kerosene.
These fraudsters, investigation revealed have ripped-off several persons in the last two weeks. They include a middle-aged lady identified as Mrs Kate Ndulue, an Asaba based business woman. It was reliably gathered that the victim, a cooking gas seller along Okpanama road in Asaba was allegedly defrauded by a 2 man gang of fraudsters who offered 25 litres of water to her as kerosene.
Mrs Kate Ndulue who narrated her ordeals in the hands of the fraudsters said “I was in my shop looking for customers to come when suddenly two young men well-dressed came down from a tricycle and came straight to me. After introducing themselves as business men they claimed they were hungry and I directed them to a nearby restaurant. A few minutes later they came out saying they had exhausted their money and they could no longer go back to Benin”.
Speaking further, she said “They told me they have 25 litres of kerosene and they brought it out and I gave them N2, 000 as they requested. As soon as they left, the surface substance in the jerry can smelled kerosene. I took some to cook for my children, only to discover it was water and not kerosene, I raised the alarm that attracted neighbours to my store. But the fraudsters had disappeared for an unknown destination”.
But Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs Celestina Kalu confirmed that the police were on the trail of the fraudsters who in recent times have defrauded several persons in Asaba and its environs. She also warned members of the public to be wary of persons who disguise as business men to rip them off.
Further investigations revealed that these fraudsters have allegedly recruited agents who woo unsuspecting members of the public especially food operators to buy fake kerosene products from them.