Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a five‑man criminal syndicate that specialised in recruiting or coercing domestic workers to access their employers’ bank accounts, culminating in an audacious theft of over N4.6 million from a single victim in the heart of Port Harcourt. The breakthrough came after a frantic 7:30 p.m. report on April 26, 2026, from a resident, Rosemary Vincent, who alerted the Divisional Police Station at Choba that her house help, 20‑year‑old Praise Sampson, had been tricked into boarding a taxi. According to a statement issued on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, the young domestic worker was lured by two male suspects who, once inside the moving vehicle, forcefully compelled her to surrender two Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards belonging to her employer. Before the evening ended, the syndicate had fraudulently withdrawn a staggering ₦4,607,199 from Vincent’s bank account.
The police statement revealed that the case was officially reported at about 7:30 p.m. on April 26, after frantic efforts by the victim to reach her bank failed. Officers from the Choba division, acting on the direct orders of the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, launched a coordinated intelligence‑led operation that swiftly rounded up all five suspects linked to the crime. The suspects are Praise Sampson (female, 20) of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area; Michael Chijioke (male, 36) a native of Abia State; Ndubuisi Jonah (male) also from Abia State; Ehirim Ugonna (male, 38) a native of Imo State; and Okeke Chizoba Daniel (male, 40) also from Imo State. Police sources confirmed that the suspects have been linked to a series of similar attacks across the Port Harcourt metropolis, suggesting that the gang had perfected their method over multiple operations before their luck finally ran out.
The crime is a chilling example of the “one chance” phenomenon that has long plagued urban centres across Nigeria, where unsuspecting commuters are lured into vehicles only to be robbed, coerced, or worse. However, this case highlights a particularly alarming evolution of the tactic: the recruitment or coercion of domestic insiders to access victims’ financial assets. In this instance, the house help was not a willing mastermind but was herself a victim of deception. The gang used her position of trust to bypass the security measures that might have protected the employer’s banking details. By the time Vincent realised what had happened, the money was gone, and the digital trail had to be followed by police forensic teams who tracked the withdrawals across several Automated Teller Machines in the city.
The Commissioner of Police used the occasion to issue a stern public advisory. CP Adepoju urged residents to avoid sharing ATM cards or Personal Identification Numbers with anyone, exercise extreme caution when boarding vehicles, especially those hailed on the roadside, and report any suspicious activity to the police without delay. “Stay vigilant and never share sensitive banking details,” the Commissioner warned. He also directed that the case be prosecuted without delay, assuring the public that the command would not relent in its pursuit of criminal elements who exploit trust within homes to perpetrate economic sabotage.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that the five suspects are currently in custody and that investigations are ongoing to determine if they are connected to other unsolved robberies within the state. The command has also intensified its decoy and surveillance operations around Choba and other high‑risk corridors to prevent any further “one chance” operations.
As the suspects await their day in court, the wider message from the Commissioner of Police is simple: trust is a treasure, but it is also a vulnerability. In Port Harcourt, that warning now comes with a price tag of N4.6 million.
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