A four-man syndicate impersonating Anambra State Government’s task force on COVID-19 has been arrested, Police says.
Parading the suspects at the State Police Headquarters in Awka, the Spokesperson, Anambra State Police Command, Haruna Mohammed said items recovered from the suspects include Surgical masks and hand sanitizers produced locally under unhygienic conditions.
“On the 31st of March, 2020 at about 3 pm, following intelligence report, police operatives attached to Central Police Station Onitsha arrested the following syndicate, Anthony Chidubem Oyatubo aged 30 years of Nimo, Njikoka LGA, Nwachukwu Chidi aged 31 years of Awka, Chris C.Okeke aged 30years of Awka and Olisa Muora aged 25 years of Onitsha.
“The suspects who claimed to be officials of the Ministry of health, fully kitted with reflective jackets and caps with inscriptions ‘FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19’, were arrested with flyers, hand sanitizers and face masks which they produced locally under unhygienic conditions and selling the products to the unsuspecting members of the public as well as distributing same to various outlets in Onitsha before their arrests,” the PPRO revealed.
According to him, preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were neither government workers nor health officials as they claimed but elements who took advantage of the present pandemic situation to market their unhygienic products to the unsuspecting buyers.
“Exhibits recovered in their possessions includes three cartons of hand sanitizers, flyers, several reflective jackets, four caps and over fifty nose masks,” he noted.
Mohammed said the case is under investigation after which the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.
He reiterated their directive of the state Commissioner of Police, John Abang urging the public to be wary of such syndicates and refrain from patronising them in order not to expose themselves to other health hazards.
