Three arrested for posing as 'spirits' to defraud their victims in Katsina

The police in Katsina State has arrested three persons for posing as spirits (Aljannu) to defraud people in the state.

A statement released by the spokesperson of the state police command, Gambo Isah, gave the names of the suspects as Usman Adamu, 40; Abba Ibrahim, 38; and Abdurrauf Iliyasu, 39.

Isah stated that the suspects pretending to be spirits would call the numbers of their victims, instructing them to go and drop off some money at a certain location. Acting in fear, the victims would collect some of their money and deposit it at the place where the "spirits" instructed them to drop it off.

"Nemesis caught up with them when they called a woman, Jamila Sulaiman, on her phone that they were spirits (Aljannu), and directed her to go to the outskirts of Yar-Gamji village and drop the sum of N150,000 or risk her parents or children being killed by spirits.

The victim, out of fear, took the money to the location and dropped it. Furthermore, she transferred another N97,000 into the hoodlums’ bank account.

In the course of the investigation, the suspects were trailed and arrested and they confessed to the crime and other similar offences. The investigation is ongoing,” the statement in part read.

The command had in January this year also arrested two persons, Kabiru Bashir and Sadiq Ashiru, for posing as evil spirits to defraud people in the state. The suspects were allegedly arrested after they stole the ATM card of one Rabi’atu Garba and told her they were spirits, asking her to give them her PIN.