In an unfolding investigation in Delta State, a Point of Sale (PoS) operator has denied any knowledge of being involved in a ransom transaction related to a kidnapping incident. The operator, whose identity remains undisclosed, explained her side of the story in a video posted on Thursday by Delta State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, on his X page.
According to the PoS operator, a regular customer, Timothy Ogenechukwu, had been making small transactions with her before depositing a massive sum of 4 million Naira into her account. “He has been doing transactions with me, maybe 5,000 or 2,000 Naira at a time,” she said during questioning. However, this time, the transaction was significantly larger.
Ogenechukwu contacted her that morning, asking her to check her account, but provided no further explanation about the large deposit. The operator claimed she had no idea that the funds were connected to a kidnapping ransom. “I didn’t know,” she insisted, explaining that she treated the transaction as routine.
The operator admitted to earning a profit of 40,000 Naira from the transaction, a standard fee for such dealings, but denied any intentional involvement in criminal activities.
SP Bright Edafe pressed her on the risks of handling such large sums, especially since the money originated from a kidnapping victim. He emphasized that receiving and disbursing large amounts could implicate her in the crime, even if she was unaware of the illegal source of the funds.
In the video, Edafe also reiterated warnings to PoS operators about the dangers of processing high-value transactions without proper checks. “I have been educating people, especially PoS operators, that any transaction above 500,000 Naira should be done at the bank,” he cautioned. He stressed that operators should be vigilant and mindful of suspicious activities, as handling unusually large sums could point to potential criminal involvement.
