Kwara Govt Accuses PoS Operators Of Aiding Terrorists, Kidnappers, Details Emerge

• Kwara government warns that some PoS operators are laundering ransom money for kidnappers and terrorists
• Operators allegedly process large suspicious transactions to earn high commissions despite community norms
• Some agents are accused of spying and providing financial intelligence to criminal networks

The Kwara State Government has expressed serious concern over the rising trend of Point-of-Sale (PoS) operators allegedly aiding terrorists and kidnappers in laundering ransom money.

The government stressed that such activities worsen insecurity across communities in the state.

Gov't implored community to join anti-banditry movement

The Senior Special Assistant on Communication to the Kwara state Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullateef, disclosed this while speaking on Diamond FM during a live interview monitored by a Legit.ng correspondent.

Abdullateef explained that community members, including POS operators, have a vital role to play in helping government and security agencies curb banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of violent crimes.

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According to him:

“The roles of citizens in helping the government to curb this banditry and terror attacks in the state include informing the security operatives whenever they suspect a strange movement of people, vehicles, or any transportation means in their communities.”

He noted that while the government is making efforts to strengthen security, the collaboration of ordinary residents remains a key factor.

PoS accused of complicity

However, Abdullateef raised concerns about the activities of some PoS operators, who, he claimed, are knowingly or unknowingly aiding criminals because of the commissions they make from large transactions.

He explained:

“The second issue is that of Point-of-Sale (POS) operators at different joints in several towns in the state. These people are very familiar with the dwellers of their communities. It is certain that people in these communities do not usually transact more than N50,000 or N100,000 per transaction.

“But for some people, because they cannot take the money to the bank (because the source is questionable), they would take like N5 million or N10 million to the POS joint. Some will even say they would not come to the POS operator’s shop to avoid being seen. They may even fix a night meeting or ask the operator to meet them somewhere else.

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“But because the POS operators are only concerned about getting high commission from the transaction, they would ignore the suspicious nature of the money and go ahead to help the person. At the end of the day, the POS operators do not realise they are already helping these suspected criminals to launder the ransom money they collected from their victims in the same communities.”

The governor’s aide further alleged that some POS operators eventually become part of criminal networks, serving as informants to bandits and kidnappers.

He added:

“In fact, that is how they recruit some of these POS operators to their team. That is how these operators would then begin serving as spies to the kidnappers and bandits. They would be the ones giving the bandits information about the financial status of fellow residents. It is from this information that the bandits will start targeting who their next victims will be.”

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Abdullateef emphasized the need for citizens to stop enabling criminal elements, either through direct financial dealings or by providing them with supplies.

“This is in line with the saying that ‘if there is no internal war, the external war cannot fight us.’ This is why the government is now appealing to the citizens to stop helping these criminals. They should stop helping them to buy food, oil, and other necessary things.”

INEC shuts offices in Kwara after kidnap threats

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that fear had gripped several communities in Kwara state following fresh attacks by suspected terrorists, popularly known as bandits, who are now targeting politicians and electoral officials.

Legit.ng gathered that on Sunday night, gunmen stormed Sakpefu community in the Lade district of Patigi Local Government Area, Kwara state and abducted the wife and daughter of the local chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Mohammed Swasun.

Source: Legit.ng