POS operator reveals how N4m ransom passed through account

PUNCH

In a developing case of a suspected kidnap ransom transaction in Delta State, a yet-to-be-identified Point of Sale operator has spoken out, claiming she was unaware of the criminal activities behind a 4 million Naira deposit into her account.

The operator was questioned in a video by the Public Relations Officer for Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, and published on his X page on Thursday as part of an investigation into a kidnapping incident.

The operator explained her side of the story, stating that she was contacted by a customer, Timothy Ogenechukwu, who had previously conducted smaller transactions with her.

“He has been doing transactions with me, maybe at times 5,000 or 2,000,” she told the police.

However, this time, the transaction was significantly larger—4 million Naira. According to her, Ogenechukwu did not provide any clear reason for the massive deposit.

“He only called me that morning and said I should check my account,” she added.

She claimed she had no prior knowledge that the money in question was related to criminal activity, specifically a ransom payment from a kidnapping victim.

“I didn’t know,” she said, emphasising that she thought it was another business transaction, similar to their past interactions.

However, she admitted to making a profit of 40,000 Naira from the transaction.

“My profit is 40,000,” she said.

During the interrogation, Edafe pressed her on the nature of her relationship with Timothy, questioning if she understood the implications of allowing large sums to be transferred through her account.

The officer highlighted that the funds originated from a victim who had been kidnapped and suggested that the PoS operator’s role in receiving and distributing the money could make her complicit in the crime.

The PPRO had earlier in the video warned that PoS operators should be mindful of who they do transactions with, especially if such transactions are relatively high.

He said, “I have been talking and educating people on social media, particularly PoS operators. Any person who wants to do transactions above 500,000 naira should go to the bank.