Police In Rivers Arrests Member Of ATM Debit Card Swapping Syndicate
Prince Woke, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command says it has arrested Blessing Daberechi Oleru, a 35-year-old female from OMPADEC Road, Igwuruta Town, Port Harcourt, who was involved in ATM debit card swapping.
Public Relations Officer of Rivers State Police Command Grace Iringe Koko, who is also a Superintendent of Police, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, 25th, 2025, that the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported the incident on November 26, 2024, at the Olu-Obasanjo Police Station after the suspect swapped his ATM card at a Bank Garrison axis in Port Harcourt.
According to the report, the victim attempted to withdraw cash from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), but the machine malfunctioned. Oleru, standing nearby pretending to carry out a transaction, offered assistance but instead swapped the victim’s debit card.
SP Koko said the victim left the ATM without realising what had happened but soon began receiving debit alerts totalling five hundred and twenty-three thousand, six hundred Naira (₦523,600.00).
“Following a coordinated intelligence operation, police operatives arrested Oleru on February 5, 2025. “During interrogation, she confessed to the crime, and a Moniepoint POS machine was recovered from her possession” SP Koko said
The Police Image Maker stated that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts to apprehend other syndicate members, while adding that the arrest demonstrates the Rivers State Police Command’s commitment to combating financial crimes and protecting citizens’ interests at all times.
