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Category: Crime

Troops Neutralise 21 Terrorists in Katsina

Fola Badmus01 mins

In another daring operation, the gallant troops of Joint Task Force North West Operation Fasan Yama successfully assaulted terrorist enclaves in Ruwan Godiya, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, on 23 May 2025. The troops subdued the terrorists in a fierce firefight, forcing them to abandon their base and flee. During the ensuing pursuit, 21 terrorists were neutralized, with some succumbing to drowning in a nearby river. The operation also yielded a significant seizure of large cache of arms and ammunition, including guns, rifles, magazines, explosives, communication devices, mobile phones, and motorcycles.

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15 Traders Killed in Agatu Ambush by Suspected Herders in Benue State

Fola Badmus02 mins

At least fifteen traders have been brutally killed by gunmen suspected to be herders in Ogwumogbo and Okpo’okpolo communities of Agatu Local Government Area in Benue State Local sources told our correspondent that the victims were ambushed on Saturday evening while returning from the Oweto Market. The attackers reportedly emerged from a nearby bush and opened fire, killing fifteen traders on the spot. Confirming the incident, a former Vice Chairman of Agatu LGA, John Ikwulono, said the assailants also looted the victims’ money and personal belongings before fleeing into the surrounding forests. “As I speak to you, some persons are still missing, while those who sustained gunshot wounds have been taken to a hospital for treatment,” Ikwulono said during a telephone interview. The attack has sparked fear and tension in the affected communities, with many residents calling for urgent government intervention. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State, Catherine Anene, said she had not yet been briefed on the incident. This tragic event adds to the growing list of violent attacks in the region, where herder-farmer clashes and banditry have remained persistent challenges.

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Alleged N5.7bn Fraud: EFCC Presents First Witness Against Ex-Access Bank Staff, Others In Lagos

Fola Badmus05 mins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, May 15, 2025, presented its first prosecution witness, PW1, Abdulmajeed Agboola, a staff of Access Bank Plc, in the alleged N5,726,994, 110.23( Five Billion, Seven Hundred and Twenty Six Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand, One Hundred and Ten Naira, Twenty three kobo) fraud involving a former employee of the bank, Olajide Ogunmoroti, , Michael Igbomina, David Onyeike and Moses Iruolaje before Justice O.O.Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos. The defendants are being prosecuted on an amended 10-count charge bordering on stealing, retention of proceeds of crime, money laundering , obtaining credit by false pretence and unauthorized access to computer materials. One of the charges reads: “ That you, Olajide Ogunmoroti, Michael Igbomina, David Onyeike and Moses Iruolaje, sometime in 2023, with a dishonest intent, stole and converted for your own use the sum of N2,253,827,379.23, being property of Access Bank Plc., thereby committed an offence of Stealing, contrary to Sections 280 and punishable under section 280 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.” Another charge reads: “ That you, “Olajide Ogunmoroti, Michael Igbomina, David Onyeike and Moses Iruolaje, sometime in 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with a dishonest intent, stole and converted for your own use the sum of N3,473,166,731.00 (Three Billion, Four Hundred and Seventy- Three Million, One Hundred and Sixty-Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty One Naira) Property of Access Bank PIc., thereby committed an offence of Stealing, contrary to Sections 280 and punishable under section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.” Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid L. Tukur, the witness told the court that the first defendant, Ogunmoroti , was the ICT representative of the Abakaliki branch of the bank. He told the court that there was a glitch in the bank’s server, which was traced to the Abakaliki branch during investigations. According to him, “There was a fraudulent overdraft limit maintained on our customers’ accounts, which enabled them to make withdrawals from the unfunded accounts. We observed those suspicious overdraft limits maintained on customers’ accounts, which allowed them to access funds and transferred to accounts maintained in both Access Bank and other banks. We identified customers whose accounts benefitted from the suspicious overdraft maintenance with total exposure of over N5bn.” Giving further evidence, the witness said when the CCTV footage was checked, it was discovered that everything had been wiped out. “During investigations, everything was pointing at the first defendant. He admitted that he used a private laptop in connection with the bank’s server through which they gained access to the bank’s data,” he further told the court. He, however, told the court that the use of personal laptops wasn’t allowed in the bank’s policy. The prosecution counsel, thereafter, sought to tender in evidence the petitions from the bank. There was no objection by the defence counsel and the document was admitted by the court. Justice Fadipe adjourned the case till May 20, 2025 for the continuation of trial.

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EFCC Arrests Ex-Government Contractor for Alleged N30b Fraud in Kaduna

Fola Badmus06 mins

The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested one Bashir Bello Ibrahim, a former Kaduna State government contractor and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Formal Act Legacy Limited for alleged multiple fraud to the tune of N30 billion. Though his contract with the state government had been terminated, no less than 251 complaints received by the Commission against the suspect pointed to the allegation that Ibrahim is parading himself to unsuspecting victims as consultant for the 23 local government areas in Kaduna State as well as that of the United Charity Foundation, UCF, FICCORD with affiliation to Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs Office. It is also alleged that he informed his victims that he had a 2020 Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the Kaduna State government for the purpose of sourcing intervention grants from global donor agencies for the funding of LGA projects in the state and supporting the actualization of SDGs within the state. While investigations revealed that the suspect is not a consultant to UCF, his 2020 MoU with Kaduna State government was terminated by the state government in October 2023 as a result of default on the terms of the MoU by the suspect. However, despite the termination of the MoU, the suspect intentionally engaged in unauthorised award of fictitious contracts to the tune of approximately N30 billion (Thirty Billion Naira) by convincing his contractor victims to supply items meant for construction of hospitals, motorised boreholes, hospital beds and mattresses, drugs and vaccines which he would allegedly receive on behalf of the Kaduna State government, sold some and diverted their proceeds to his personal use. From investigations, it was further discovered that when he took delivery of the supplies, he would warehouse them, kept the LGAs in the dark about their delivery and furthermore, failed to pay he contractors the value of what they supplied. It is also alleged that the suspect was selling contract award papers using proxies with whom he shared the proceeds. These fraudulent acts coupled with his unilateral alteration of the nature of the contracts and their terms, allegedly led to the termination of the MoU he had with the state government in 2023. Items recovered from him include Toyota Hilux pick up vans, ambulances, buses, dispatch motorcycles, caches of drugs and vaccines for children, stacks of hospital beds and mattresses and heavy duty generators. Found in his office store are large quantities of tablets, capsules, syrups, infusions, ointments/creams; medical consumables that include hand gloves, syringes, and mucus extractor. The Commission is collaborating with NAFDAC and the Kaduna State Ministry of Health in the evaluation of the cache of medicines found in his storage facilities as well as in carrying out qualitative analysis on them. Following the inspections, Umar Ahmad Suleiman, Investigation and Enforcement Officer, Federal Tax Force, NAFDAC said some of the drug manufacturers registered with NAFDAC and that while some of the medicines are still within shelf life, some have expired with some being outright counterfeits and their manufacturers, unregistered with NAFDAC. Corroborating the position of the NAFDAC official, Abubakar Isa Balarabe, a pharmacist and Team Leader, Ministry of Health Kaduna State observed that some of the medicines have expired, noting also that the warehouse where the medicines were stored fell below standard. “The storage is not fit for any medicine because of the way and manner it was kept,” he said. The suspect will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.

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Abuja Court Jails One for Internet Fraud

Fola Badmus03 mins

Justice A.I. Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Jabi Abuja, has convicted and sentenced Danji-Fari Ubadallah to two-months imprisonment for internet fraud. He was arraigned on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 on one-count charge bordering on internet fraud. The charge reads “That you, Danji-Fari Ubadallah sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court cheated by personation when you created a Facebook account with the profile name Precious Rashel a United States of America citizen and under that assumed character obtained the sum of $50.00 (Fifty United States Dollars) from his victim one Rueben GI through a gift card and traded same with one Zhang Jie a Chinese citizen and received the Naira equivalent in your Opay account number 8100877271 under the false pretense that you are in a romantic relationship with him, a fact you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.” When the charge was read to him, he pleaded guilty to it, prompting prosecution counsel S.N. Robert to pray the judge to convict and sentence him. Justice Kutigi convicted and sentenced Ubadallah to two months in the Correctional Center with an option of N90, 000 (Ninety Thousand Naira) fine. The judge also ordered that the iPhone which was used to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government. Ubadallah bagged the imprisonment when he was arrested for internet crime. He was charged to court and convicted.

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Navy Dismantles Nine Illegal Refineries in Rivers, Seizes 175,000 Litres of Stolen Products

Navy Dismantles Nine Illegal Refineries in Rivers Seizes 175,000 Litres of Stolen Products

Fola Badmus02 mins

Port Harcourt, May 14, 2025 — The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder has dismantled nine illegal refining sites and seized approximately 175,000 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The operation, carried out on May 12, exposed an extensive network of illicit activities, including 45 refining ovens, 30 storage reservoirs, and 75 dugout pits, according to a statement by Commodore Cajethan Aniaku, Commander of NNS Pathfinder. Details of the Seizure: The illegal facilities were destroyed on-site to prevent further exploitation and environmental harm. The Navy also discovered two wellheads connected via underground pipes used by oil thieves to siphon crude directly to their camps. The pipes were dismantled as part of the operation. “The Nigerian Navy, under the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, remains committed to combating crude oil theft and illegal bunkering,” said Commodore Aniaku. “These activities pose grave threats to our national economy and energy security.” No arrests were made as the perpetrators fled before the arrival of the tactical squad. Aniaku praised the personnel for their bravery and professionalism, reaffirming the Navy’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s oil infrastructure through ongoing anti-theft and bunkering operations.

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New Jersey-Based Nigerian Woman Sentenced to 45 Months for Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

Fola Badmus05 mins

Camden, New Jersey – A Nigerian-born U.S. citizen residing in New Jersey, Bolaj Bolarinwa, has been sentenced to 45 months in federal prison for orchestrating a coercive forced labor scheme involving two women she brought into the United States to work in her home under abusive conditions. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencing on Friday, May 9, 2025, following Bolarinwa’s conviction on multiple charges, including two counts of forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and two counts of document servitude. Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, was found guilty after a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams, who also imposed three years of supervised release, a $35,000 fine, and $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims. Exploitation and Abuse According to court documents and trial evidence, Bolarinwa recruited two women from Nigeria between December 2015 and October 2016 and subjected them to forced domestic labor and childcare in her home. Once in the U.S., Bolarinwa confiscated the victims’ passports, isolated them, subjected them to constant surveillance, and threatened them with physical harm — including threats against the family of one victim. The first victim, brought to the U.S. in December 2015, was coerced into working around-the-clock for nearly a year, with no freedom of movement and under continual verbal and psychological abuse. The second victim, who arrived on a student visa in April 2016, was physically assaulted and similarly exploited until she managed to inform a college professor, who then alerted the FBI. Both women were held in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when federal authorities intervened. Federal Response Officials condemned the case as a stark example of human trafficking and exploitation. “The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “She subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay.” “Today’s sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey. “Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society.” “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and physically abused them,” added Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “This case is a reminder that human trafficking can happen anywhere, even in plain sight.” Ongoing Efforts The case was prosecuted under the auspices of the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, established in 2025. The task force comprises multiple federal and state agencies, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, IRS, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General, aimed at combating trafficking and supporting survivors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit led the prosecution. Anyone who suspects human trafficking is encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733 (BEFREE).

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Boko Haram Deploying Armed Drones Nigerian Army Warns

Fola Badmus06 mins

Maiduguri, Nigeria – May 14, 2025 The Nigerian Army has raised concerns over the increasing use of armed drones by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East, describing it as a dangerous shift in tactics that poses significant challenges to national security. Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), disclosed this development during a press briefing on Tuesday in Maiduguri, Borno State. According to the commander, the terrorist group has begun deploying drones similar to those used in conflict zones such as Israel and Ukraine, which are difficult to detect using conventional radar systems. “The terrorists have changed tactics, resorting to multi-pronged attacks on isolated and vulnerable deployments. They use these attacks as propaganda,” General Abubakar said. “This is why we are reviewing our deployments to counter their evolving strategies.” The army chief warned that insurgents who continue to resist and engage in violence face “certain elimination,” urging them to surrender and emulate those who have already laid down their arms and are being treated humanely. Despite the new threat posed by drone warfare, General Abubakar reassured Nigerians that the troops remain highly motivated, attributing improved morale to enhanced welfare packages instituted by the military leadership. “This shows the seriousness with which the government is tackling this conflict,” he said. “We are confident that in due time, we will achieve complete victory over terrorism.” The Theatre Commander highlighted significant progress in the fight against insurgency, noting that normalcy has largely returned to many parts of the North East compared to five or ten years ago. “In just the past week, over 20 terrorists have been neutralised and several weapons recovered. Operations are ongoing on multiple fronts,” he said, adding that thousands of displaced residents have returned to their communities. “Malam Fatori and Kukawa are recent success stories, with nearly 20,000 IDPs returning to their ancestral homes.” However, General Abubakar acknowledged that insecurity across the wider Sahel region is impacting Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts. He noted that arms looted from overrun military barracks in neighboring countries are often smuggled into Nigeria through porous borders. “Two years ago, we were on the verge of declaring the conflict over,” he revealed. “But the deterioration in the Sahel has had a direct impact on us. The terrorists have also adapted—thanks in part to the ease with which they access new technology.” He cited the deployment of weaponised drones since November 2024 as a major concern, prompting the military to reassess and reorganize its strategy. “The Chief of Army Staff visited last week and major changes have been implemented. I assumed command just three weeks ago as part of those changes,” he said. General Abubakar confirmed that coordinated attacks were recently launched in Rann, Dikwa, and Gajiram. While most were repelled, the attack on Rann breached military defenses, resulting in the loss of four personnel. Despite the setback, he reaffirmed the military’s determination to end terrorism. “Our resolve remains firm. We will defeat terrorism and restore peace to this region as swiftly as possible. But we need the full support of the nation,” he said. The commander urged Nigerians to grasp the complexity of the mission, noting that the OPHK theatre covers over 150,000 square kilometers—larger than several countries combined. “In asymmetric warfare, as Sun Tzu said, you must separate the fish from the water. Security is a collective responsibility,” he added. As a sign of growing community collaboration, he cited the recent interception of 13,000 litres of petrol being smuggled to terrorist enclaves—a cache capable of powering insurgent operations for a year. “The fight against terrorism cannot be won by the armed forces alone,” he concluded. “We need the cooperation and vigilance of every citizen to overcome this challenge.”

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