The popular sayings that all days for belong to a thief and one day for the owner is a language in our local palace that has become the fate of one Mr Patrick a suspected serial fraudster who uses the techniques of ‘money doubling’ to dupe and deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
Journey to the arrest of Mr Patrick started after he duped his recent victim Legbara Barikpega a twenty -two year old lady whom he accosted on the road at Elimgbu, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on May 22nd, 2024 where he allegedly hypnotized and deceived her to have produced 2000 from 50 naira .
We learnt Mr Patrick further urged Miss Barikpega to provide all the money in her own house at the village and that of her family, promising to ‘double’ the money to fill one sack bag. We gathered that the lady went to her family house in the village where she collected money totalling two hundred thousand (200, 000) naira and gave to the suspect.
The incident was reported to Eligbum Police Division by Mr Legbara Anthony, Elder brother to the female victim. Detectives from Elimgbu Police Division after weeks of trailing arrested the suspect at Elimgbu when he was about defrauding another victim.
In an interview with our reporter Anthony Legbara elder brother to the female victim said “one fateful day I was in the house, my sister came to collect all the money in the house. We were trying to know why she was collecting all those money. She is not always around with us in the village.
“She came home took the money. We noticed when she has left for PortHarcourt.We try to investigate, she told us that it was a money doubler that gave her oath and did all the incantation on her to go to the village that when she get to the village she will see money and she should bring the money to him.
“My sister did, which caught our attention and we immediately reported the matter to the Elimgbu Police Division. We are happy that the ‘money doubler’ has been arrested. His name is Mr Patrick.
“Even at the point Police caught him, he was with another victim, trying to dupe her. We are happy that the Police has arrested him, also praying that the law should take it course”.
The Rivers State Police Command was yet to respond to the incident as at the time of filing this report