Kwara Police Warn POS Operators Against Complicity in Illicit Financial Schemes

The Kwara State Police Command is taking a proactive stance to protect its citizens and financial ecosystem from escalating fraud. In a clear statement, the Command has alerted Point-of-Sale (POS) operators and financial service providers to a disturbing trend of elaborate scams designed to ensnare unsuspecting agents. These criminals, believed to be operating across state lines, are luring operators with the promise of substantial commissions for processing massive financial transactions, often in the millions of naira.

“

The Kwara State Police Command wishes to draw the attention of members of the public, particularly Point-of-Sale (POS) operators and financial service providers, to a growing trend of sophisticated fraud schemes being perpetrated by criminal elements suspected to be operating across state lines.

The Command's Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, acting on behalf of Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi, emphasized that these transactions are frequently linked to untraceable criminal networks. This puts POS operators in a precarious position, as they may later be interrogated or arrested by law enforcement from other jurisdictions when these illicit activities are uncovered.

“

Some individuals from outside the State are engaging POS agents in transactions involving large sums of money… In most cases, these transactions are processed with the expectation of small commissions or service charges, making POS operators unknowingly complicit in illicit financial activities.

To combat this growing threat, the police are urging operators to exercise extreme vigilance. They must be wary of unusual transaction amounts and unfamiliar customers. Crucially, operators are now directed to report any significant financial dealings to the nearest police station before proceeding. This directive aims to prevent operators from becoming unwitting accomplices and to disrupt the flow of funds for criminal enterprises within Kwara State and beyond.

“

Such POS agents are sometimes visited by law enforcement authorities from other jurisdictions for interrogation and arrest, with demands to account for the whereabouts of the supposed sender or recipient of the funds, who are often untraceable criminal actors.