EFCC nabs 5 fake DSTV operators in Rivers

Monday, October 7, 2019 7:29 am

The fake DSTV satellite operators

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Port Harcourt Zonal Office, have arrested five suspected fake satellite television operators.

The suspects – Davidson Onuoha; Emeka Samuel; Eze Francis Sunny Amadi, Terkura Zungwem Verinica and Evangelist Alex Umanah – were arrested in a simultaneous raid on their companies on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at three different locations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Their arrest, according to EFCC Head, Media & Publicity Wilson Uwujaren,

“followed several weeks of intense intelligence on the suspects, their residences and operations by operatives of the EFCC.”

The suspects were allegedly rebroadcasting content of the Digital Satellite Television (DSTv) illegally in their companies. The companies are CANTV at Aba Road, Port Harcourt, METROTV at Rivers State Television Complex, Eagle Avenue, Iriebe, Port Harcourt, and Cable Trends Limited (CTL) at Eleme Junction, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Uwujaren said that items recovered from the suspects include GOTV Decoders; Star times Decoders; DSTV Decoder; Free to Air Decoder (Strong), Consat Decoder and One Direct Decoder. Others are Encoder, Switches, Central Processing Units (CPU) and Monitors.

He assured that the suspects would be charged to court when investigations are concluded.

Uwujaren quoted Port Harcourt’s Zonal Head of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, as cautioning the general public to be wary of the operations of illegal satellite operators stressing that there are rising cases of such activities across the country.