Tag: Police

The Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) has detained a self-acclaimed licensed Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, Chinedu Ngwaka, for alleged fraud of N320 million.

The FCID’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP. Aminat Mayegun, confirmed this in a post she shared on her X handle @mayegunAmina on Wednesday.

She said that the police received a petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mr Ayodeji Ogundele, FCID Annex, Lagos on Sept. 9.

“Chinedu Laz and Partners (Deo Gratia Chambers) filed a petition on behalf of Mr Tochukwu Unachukwu, the Managing Director of Casco Electronics Company Limited, against Ngwaka and wife, Janet, of being involved in a fraudulent scheme amounting to N320 million.

“Upon receipt of the petition, detectives from the Special Investigations Team (SIT) of the Anti-Fraud Section attached to FCID Annex, Lagos, swiftly swung into intelligence led investigation.

“The team reviewed relevant banking records and secured a warrant of arrest, which led to the apprehension of Ngwaka.”

PPRO said that further investigation revealed that between March and May 2024, Unachukwu made payments totaling N320 million to Ngwaka and his wife.

“Unachukwu made payment of N320 million through Ngwaka company accounts, Edunaco Multiple Resources Limited and Bright Janes World, for the procurement of $200,000 USD to facilitate the supply of goods from China.

“However, additional intelligence uncovered fraudulent document, including a telex confirmation from Zenith Bank, which purportedly shows the completion of the transactions in two $100,000 USD tranches.

“The Chinese suppliers confirmed that no such funds were received,” she said.

Read Also: Police dismiss two, demote one over rape of girl, 17

Mayegun said that during the operation, the SIT recovered a black 2024 Toyota Hilux with a fraudulent Presidency number plate (02B679FG) from Ngwaka, who falsely claimed to operate under the name Phobia BDC Ltd.

“Verification with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed that he had no association with the company in any form, and that the company’s license has been revoked earlier in the year.

“Additionally, a fake identity card, purportedly issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, was discovered, fraudulently identifying Ngwaka as a consultant of the ministry.

“Another letter of introduction addressed ‘to whom it may concern’, purportedly issued by the Head of Service of the Federation, seeking allocation of presidency number plate to the suspect was also recovered from him.

“Relevant authorities have confirmed the illegitimacy of the document.

“The investigation further revealed that the Toyota Hilux, imported into Nigeria in June by Humble Autos, who sold same to a local dealership, Don-Neiel Automobiles Nigeria who subsequently sold to Ngwaka, after he had engaged in the fraudulent transaction with Unachukwu, ” she said.

The image maker said that several other petitions had been received against the suspect, including claims from Mr Moses Enechukwu and Chinedu Nwaforcha, seeking the recovery of ₦1 billion and ₦840 million respectively.

She said that upon the conclusion of the investigation, Ngwaka, along with his co-conspirators, would be charged to court for prosecution.

Mayegun said that the AIG Ogundele advised Nigerians to remain vigilant and report any similar fraudulent acts to the relevant authorities.

“Ogundele urged the pubilc to report fraudulent activities and further warned citizens that anyone involved in such illegal activities will face the full consequences of the law,” the PPRO said.

(NAN) 

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed a former Police Inspector, Edith Uduma, for gross misconduct and complicity surrounding the alleged rape of a 17-year-old female suspect by a Police Sergeant, Abraham Uzuobo, in Edo State.

It would be recalled that a viral video on social media showed a Police Sergeant alleged to have raped a female suspect in the station where Uduma was the Charge Room Officer (CRO) on duty on October 7, 2024.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Police Public Relations, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police also dismissed Uzuobo.

He disclosed that a thorough investigation into the matter conducted by the Edo State Police Command revealed that Sergeant Uzuobo removed the victim from the cell and took her to an unoccupied office, where he attempted to engage in sexual acts with the teenager.

He stated: “During the act, Uduma had walked in and recorded the act. However, instead of immediately making a documented entry on the matter in the Incident Record of the Station which was under her charge, and thereafter reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, she took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, Ibrahim Mohammed, who was also a Police Inspector, both of whom conspired to unlawfully demand the sum of N1 million from the Sergeant to assist him in concealing the matter.

“However, the Sergeant offered only N45,000 in cash which they collected at that instance and after a few days, contacted the Sergeant to request the same sum of N1,000,000, but the Sergeant refused to comply. Dissatisfied by his refusal to follow through with the blackmail, they decided to report the erring officer to the DPO and also simultaneously share the video on social media.

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“Everyone culpable in this case has been sanctioned appropriately as there is no intention to impede justice. The erring Sergeant has been dismissed and prosecuted and is currently in prison custody as the trial progresses. Inspector Edith Uduma was also dismissed for her role, while her complicit husband has been reduced to the rank of Sergeant.”

Adejobi stated that it has however come to the attention of the Force that Uduma, after her dismissal, made numerous “unfounded claims regarding her innocence and has sought to taint the reputation and integrity of the adjudicating authority, the Inspector-General of Police in person, and the entire Police Force.”

The police spokesperson noted that Uduma’s dismissal was not only justified but necessary, based on the investigations that presented evidence of her failure to follow standard incident report protocol to immediately document the incident, attempt to conceal an offender for benefit, participation in extortion, and manipulating the justice process for personal gain.

Adejobi stressed that the NPF, under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, stands firmly against any form of misconduct, “particularly in cases of such grave nature involving vulnerable victims”.

He said: “The Force maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption, blackmail, and any behaviour that seeks to pervert the course of justice. The actions of the dismissed officer were in direct violation of the values and standards upheld by the Nigeria Police Force, and other extant laws of Nigeria”.

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested four suspects for various crimes including drug dealings, counterfeit currency, and other related offences.

The suspects are Nura Halilu, Salim Mohammed, Saifullahi Usman, and Usman Mohammed.

A statement by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh said the operation took place around the Timber Market, Dei-Dei area of the territory.

According to her, investigations revealed that the hideout belongs to their: “gang leader, who is currently at large,e and that it served as a hub for drug dealing, stolen phones, and other crimes”.

Read Also: Police arrest notorious methylene chloride dealer in Bauchi

She stated that one of the suspects, Ismail Tasiu, also known as “Old School,” confessed to operating in the area for over ten years.

“Another suspect, Nura Halilu, admitted to being part of an armed robbery and drug-dealing syndicate led by a fugitive named Murtala”, she added.

The items recovered include one locally made gun, three live cartridges and three, expended cartridges, four knives, and a large quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp”

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom has confirmed the abduction of Mr Samuel Ekerenam, the owner of Hephzibah Shopping Mall at Afaha Uqua Obok-Idim road in Eket Local Government Area of the state.

ASP Timfon John, the State Police Public Relations Officer disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket on Tuesday.

John said the incident happened on Saturday at about 10:55p.m in the night at his Hephzibah Shopping Mall in Eket.

She said the gun men abducted the victim after killing his personal driver and  demoralised his police escort before taking him away.

“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Joseph Eribo and his tactical commanders have visited the scene of the crime and efforts are in top gear to rescue the victim unhurt,” John said.

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NAN recalls that the victim’s wife, Mrs Glory Ekerenam was kidnapped in Eket on Oct. 17, 2019 and kept at the kidnapper’s den at Ikot Ubo in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of the state.

A family source who did not want his name mentioned, said the victim came back from work that same day he was abducted

He said that the police officer was in a critical state in an unknown hospital in the state.

(NAN)