By Achadu Gabriel Kaduna,
Many young auto mechanics, artisans, sundry construction labourers and youths in similar trades in Kaduna, the Kaduna State capital, have quit their legitimate jobs to participate in the get-rich-quick internet fraud craze.
Reports from parts of Kaduna show that many of the youth are no longer interested in what they regard as the long road to wealth,opting, rather, for internet scams, popularly known as ‘yahoo yahoo’.
Interestingly, some have reportedly hit it big in the process and are living large having purchased sleek air-conditioned cars, mansions, clothes and shoes of the finest quality, and pay for suites for several months ahead in decent hotels, with the proceeds of fraud.
Reports say several of the youth also, as accompanying acquisitions, pick up dangerous and unlawful indulgences such as addiction to and sale of hard drugs, running prostitution rings, gun and ammunition running and others.
However, as they dive into the ocean of these crimes, the State Police Command is not sleeping either or letting many of them enjoy the loot in peace.
It was to tackle these crimes that State Governor, Uba Sani, recently constituted a task force to stem the tide of the abnormalities and restore a sane society.
Towards this end, on Tuesday night, June 23, armed personnel of the task force carried out raids on hotels in different parts of the state, arresting dozens of crime suspects in the process.
The raids, which also occurred in Ungwan Boro community, Sabo Tasha, Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, led to stampedes in many of the hotels visited by the operatives,on sighting the armed uniformed personnel.
Our correspondent, who witnessed the last stages of one of the raids, reports that the security operatives drove in a convoy into a popular hotel, De Jay’s Guest Inn, alleged to be frequented by suspects in the area.
Gaining entrance through the hotel’s small gate, located at Jaba road, they proceeded to quiz and nab persons deemed to be suspects.
Hotel staff members, who spoke on condition of anonymity as doing otherwise would jeopardize their jobs, told People&Politics that dozens of suspected drug addicts, ‘yahoo boys’ as well as a regular guest were arrested and taken away by the operatives.
Some staff members who behaved in untoward manner to the stern-faced security personnel were allegedly slapped for “trying to inhibit the police from doing their constitutional duties.”
It was gathered that some undefined substances suspected to be drugs were found on some of the suspects.
At a hotel in Sabon Tasha, arrests were also made and suspicious items seized by security.
Kaduna Police State Command spokesman, Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Mansir Hassan was yet to respond to our message before press time.
The message ran thus: “Security operatives raided De Jay’s Guest Inn hotel located in Ungwan Boro early in the night of yesterday, Tuesday, and arrested dozens of crime suspects including one popular regular guest bearing the name Jessy. Is the Command aware? Any details pls?”
Recall that recently the special task force had swung into action, recovering some quantity of arms and apprehending 398 suspects in various locations.
At the time, a statement issued by DSP Mansir had disclosed that the swift and targeted raids, driven by credible intelligence, had prompted many criminals to flee the State out of fear of retributive justice.
