Operatives of the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Central Police Station (CPS), on May 11, 2026, at about 10:50 a.m., rescued and rearrested two male suspects from an angry mob after they were allegedly caught engaging in ATM debit card swapping and fraud at a commercial bank on Okpara Avenue, Enugu.
The suspects were identified as Onyeka Timothy, 34, and Philip Chima Nwankwo, 32.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly swapped the ATM debit card of a female victim while pretending to assist her in carrying out a transaction at the ATM point.
The victim reportedly raised the alarm, leading to the immediate arrest and assault of the suspects by an angry mob before police operatives swiftly intervened, rescued, and rearrested them.
A TVS tricycle allegedly used in carrying out the criminal activity and the victim’s swapped ATM debit card were recovered from the suspects, who reportedly confessed to the crime.
The police said the suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, reiterated the command’s commitment to sustaining efforts against all forms of financial and cyber-related crimes in the state.
He also urged residents to desist from taking the law into their hands by assaulting suspects, but instead hand them over to the police for lawful investigation and prosecution.