The Delta State Police Command has issued a warning to Point of Sale (POS) operators, advising them to refrain from engaging in transactions exceeding N500,000. SP Edafe Bright, the police spokesman, emphasized that such large transactions could lead to legal troubles.
In a video shared on the official X page of the police spokesman, he addressed a POS operator, stressing that anyone wishing to conduct a transaction above N500,000 should go to the bank instead. He stated, “Wherever you are as a POS operator, if you’re receiving too much money, that is unreasonably high. Understand that there is an element of crime involved because these transactions should be done at the bank.”
SP Edafe recounted a specific incident involving a POS operator who received a staggering N4 million in her account, money that was reportedly ransom paid for a kidnapping victim. The operator’s profit from this transaction was a mere N40,000. He warned, “My message to POS operators: transactions above N500,000 can get you into trouble. Don’t be a tool for kidnappers to collect ransom. It will be traced back to you.”
In the video, the unnamed POS operator explained how she became involved. She had been doing smaller transactions with a customer named Timothy Ogheneochuko when he suddenly transferred N4 million into her account. After receiving the funds, she transferred N1.2 million to Ogheneochuko’s account as instructed.
Ogheneochuko admitted that this was his first time transferring such a large amount and mentioned that he had previously engaged in “local fraud,” but was unaware of the gravity of the situation.