A 32-year-old man, Boniface Oburuku, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for stealing a handbag belonging to an international guest from the Republic of Mauritius at an event organised by the Commission.
The bag was said to have contained two Samsung mobile phones, an international passport, and United States, Nigerian and Mauritian currencies.
The suspect reportedly committed the offence on June 11, 2019, at an event organised by the EFCC, to mark the year’s National Democracy Day and Anti-Corruption Summit at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The event was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian security chiefs, respected citizens and leaders from various parts of the world.
According to the anti-graft agency, Oburuku had been on its watch list for about a year before he was arrested in Lagos few days ago.
The team leader, Counter-Terrorism and General Investigations Unit of the EFCC, said operatives swung into action through an intelligence on the suspect which showed that he was constantly on the move from Mpape area of the FCT to Jabi and later to Gwagwalada, all in the FCT. He finally settled in Lagos, where he was arrested.
It was also gathered that to breach security at the event, the suspect ”dressed smartly in a black suit and claimed to be of the Department of State Security (DSS) and was allowed access into the venue by security agents on duty without presentation of an invite”.
After his arrest, Oburuku was said to have confessed to the crime and subsequently apologised to President Buhari, the EFCC and his Mauritian victim.
Meanwhile, the agency has said the suspect would soon be charged to court.