By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspected members of a syndicate comprising two males and two females who extort money from people through blackmail.
DSP Ikenga Toochukwu, Police Public Relations Officer who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday said they specialised in taking nude pictures of victims and threaten to post them online unless they paid money.
Ikenga gave the identities of the suspects as Okechukwu Ogoejiofor, 36, Nonso Nwizu, 34, Esther Nwafor lfeanyichukwu, 21 and Obianuju Nduba, 20.
He said the victims were arrested at Ajakpani village, Umunya in Oyi Local Government Area for alleged conspiracy, demanding with menace and stealing.
The PPRO said the suspects used social media to lure their unsuspecting male victims into fake love/friendship affairs and thereafter take them to a room where they engage them in foreplay.
According to him, Obianuju Nduba engaged the victim in a foreplay while other members of the gang force themselves into the room.
“They take nude pictures and videos of the victims, which they use to force the victims into transferring huge sums of money to them.
“They usually threaten to publish the nude pictures and videos on social media if the victims fail to comply and also dispossess the individual of his personal belongings,” he stated.
Ikenga said the case shall be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
He said Commissioner of Police warned members of the public to be wary of the activities of criminal elements who have taken their trade to social media.