Tag: Police

Edo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of three suspected kidnappers involved in the abduction of Dr. Ibrahim Tahir and his brother, Abu.

Both brothers were kidnapped on January 2nd this year at their residence, near Igbira Camp, Auchi, Estako West local government area.

Abu was killed by the kidnappers while Ibrahim was released after payment of N50m ransom.

The three kidnappers were arrested separately.

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Edo Police spokesman, Eno Ikoedem, in a statement, said the arrests were due to sustained intelligence-led operations in Auchi and its environs.

Ikoedem said a first breakthrough came when operatives of the Auchi Division, while conducting a routine bush-combing operation in collaboration with local hunters and vigilante groups, at Warake forest intercepted one Saminu Kawujie.

It was during an identification parade that he was identified as one of the abductors.

Two other suspects were arrested at the Auchi Specialist Hospital where they had gone to treat a relative.

It was Dr. Ibrahim that raised the alarm when he sighted them and police operatives led the Divisional Police Officer swooped in.

The two suspects were identified as Idris Abubakar ‘M’ and Sani Abubakar ‘M’. 

Ikoedem said both suspects have been identified as part of the gang that abducted the brothers.

“Idris Abubakar was identified as the particular person who received ransom money for the release of Dr. Abu.

“Effort have been intensified towards conducting a comprehensive and discreet investigation aimed at dismantling the entire notorious organized criminal network responsible for the kidnappings in Auchi and its environs.”

The Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos has apprehended three suspects over an alleged cyber blackmail and extortion scheme involving threats to release nude photographs of a victim unless ransom was paid.

The unit’s spokesperson, DSP Ovie Ewhubare, confirmed this in a statement yesterday.

He said the suspects, two males and a female, were apprehended after a petition was filed by a complainant, who reported being repeatedly threatened by unknown individuals demanding money.

“The complainant received several phone calls in which the callers threatened to release her nude photographs to the public if she failed to pay them.

“Acting out of fear and emotional distress, she transferred money to the suspects.

“The situation escalated when the suspects demanded an additional N10 million, prompting her to formally petition the police,” he said

Ewhubare said that upon receipt of the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Mr Kayode Ojapinwa, ordered the immediate deployment of operatives to investigate the matter.

“The investigation led to the arrest of the three suspects.

“Investigations revealed that one of the suspects gained unlawful access to the complainant’s mobile device and fraudulently transferred her nude photographs to his own device.

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“Further findings indicated that he conspired with the other suspects and other accomplices currently at large to demand and receive money from the complainant in several tranches,” he said.

According to him, the suspects are currently in police custody and are expected to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The image maker said investigations were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and to recover all proceeds of the alleged crime.

The spokesperson said CP Ojapinwa reaffirmed the PSFU’s commitment to tackling cybercrime and urged the public to protect their personal data.

“Ojapinwa reiterates the Unit’s commitment to combating cyber-enabled crimes and protecting citizens from exploitation.

“He also advised the public to safeguard their personal data, exercise caution when using digital devices, and promptly report any form of harassment or cybercrime to the police,” Ewhubare said.

The Police Command in Enugu State has recovered a truck reportedly snatched at gunpoint in Delta, while intensifying manhunt for fleeing suspects.

This is contained in a statement by the Command’s Spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Friday in Enugu.

Ndukwe said that operatives of the Command attached to Awgu Division, in the early hours of Jan. 31, recovered a Sinotruk truck along Ndeagbor Road, Awgu community, in Awgu Local Government Area.

“The recovery followed the operatives’ swift response to an intelligence report that the truck had been snatched at gunpoint from its driver at Ugwuashi-Uku, Delta State, on Jan. 29.

“On sighting the operatives, the criminal elements abandoned the truck and fled into a nearby forest.

Read Also: Police arrest eight suspects in bush combing operation in Kogi

“A manhunt for the suspects is ongoing, while the owner of the vehicle has been identified and investigations have commenced,” he said.

Ndukwe said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, had encouraged members of the public to promptly report incidents of crime to the police.

The spokesman also reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment to the continued protection of lives and property across the state.

(NAN) 

The Police Command in Kogi says eight suspected criminals have been arrested in a joint bush combing operation by security operatives in the state.

A statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Saliu Afusat, on Friday in Lokoja, said that the operation was a resolve to deny criminal elements any safe haven in Kogi.

She said that the coordinated bush-combing operations across various parts of the state were carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local hunters, and vigilante groups.

Afusat said that in the course of the operation, eight suspects were arrested at different points for questioning in connection with suspected criminal activities.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that some of the suspects are believed to be informants aiding kidnapping syndicates operating within the area.

“The suspects are currently in custody, and thorough investigations are ongoing, after which appropriate legal action will be taken based on the outcome of investigations,” she said.

According to her, the operation forms part of continuous, intelligence-led security measures routinely conducted across different locations in Kogi to proactively detect, disrupt, and dismantle criminal networks.

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She explained that the exercise involved thorough combing of identified forested and remote areas suspected to be vulnerable to criminal exploitation.

Afusat added, “Ground operations were effectively complemented with aerial surveillance, providing enhanced situational awareness, tracking of suspicious movements, and the identification of concealed criminal hideouts.

“In line with this strategy, discovered bandit camps and hideouts were neutralised to prevent reuse and deny criminal elements any operational comfort.”

She quoted the state police commissioner, Mr Naziru Kankarofi, as assuring the good people of Kogi of the command’s firm control of the security situation and its unwavering resolve to protect lives and property.

Kankarofi urged members of the public to remain calm, law-abiding, and vigilant, and to promptly report any suspicious activity through the command’s Control Room emergency lines: 07038329084 and 08152195982.

(NAN)

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCC) has arrested seven suspects in connection with a scam center, which specialized in cryptocurrency fraud.

The arrested suspects are Collins Ogwuorie, Christian Ogwuorie, Gbenoba Emmanuel, Samuel Olufemi, Collins Victor, Onyeka Emenem, and Kefas Ogunbor. Preliminary investigation revealed that the syndicate operated a sophisticated online fraud network led by Collins Ogwuorie, a Nigerian national with a history of online criminal deception.

The arrests were aided by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) and insights shared by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that investigation revealed the activities of an online investment scam center operating in Agbor, Delta State, where the suspects utilized fake social media accounts to impersonate reputable cryptocurrency traders, targeting unsuspecting individuals who interact with supposedly legitimate investment platforms.

According to him, “The leaders of this network expanded operations by recruiting and training young individuals in retirement investment fraud techniques and distribution of phishing attacks targeting victims from the United States of America based in the United Kingdom along with U.K. residents.”

The Force PRO revealed that further investigations showed that Ogwuorie procured approximately 500 social media accounts from online vendors and distributed them among his recruits for coordinated spamming, impersonation, and victim engagement.

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The two Ogwuories were assigned various operational roles, including account management, online engagement, and mass spamming.

The syndicate also operated a fraudulent Facebook group titled “Retirement Strategies: Real Estate And Market Insights,” where fabricated testimonials were posted to lure victims into making financial investments.

The police added that during the operation, detectives from the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center recovered 26 mobile phones, 42 SIM cards, and one laptop, all suspected to have been used in the commission of the crime.

However, the Police spokesman added that investigations were still ongoing as members of the public were advised to exercise caution when engaging in online investment opportunities and to verify the authenticity of platforms before committing funds.