A suspected gold thief was apprehended in the early hours of Thursday at Hausa Quarters, Warrake Road, in Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, following the swift intervention of local security outfit and vigilant members of the Hausa community.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the suspect, identified only as Yellow, had entered a jewellery shop pretending to be a customer interested in purchasing gold. After requesting to see various ornaments and later demanding special rings, he allegedly pocketed some items while the unsuspecting merchant was sorting through his collection.
Unaware that anything had been stolen, the merchant reportedly agreed when the suspect claimed he needed to withdraw cash from a nearby bank to pay for the jewellery. In an act of trust, the shop owner even offered to drive the suspect to the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Auchi.
However, according to witnesses, the suspect’s behaviour at the bank quickly raised suspicion. “He was evasive and kept giving inconsistent responses,” the merchant said. The suspect later asked to be taken to another branch of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), where he allegedly repeated the same suspicious conduct.
At that point, the merchant decided to return to his shop, suggesting that someone could provide cash locally while the suspect made a transfer. During the trip back, the merchant called his brother at the shop to double-check the gold inventory—only to discover that several items were missing.
Upon their return, the suspect was confronted and searched, and the missing gold pieces were reportedly recovered from his possession.
Another jeweller in the area revealed that the same suspect had been involved in similar schemes in other parts of the country. According to him, gold traders in Lagos had recently circulated warnings in a WhatsApp group about a man matching the suspect’s description, accused of defrauding merchants using identical tactics.
The suspect has since been handed over to the Auchi Police Division for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Police authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incident as investigations continue.
Comments here are solely the responsibility of the commenters