Crime
Alleged £1m Fraud: Police Witness Reveals How Suspects Were Apprehended In Ikorodu
The third prosecution witness, PW3, in the ongoing trial of seven suspects over an alleged £1m fraud, Giwa Wasiu, an Assistant Superintendent of the Police, ASP has told Justice R. A. Osodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos how the defendants were apprehended in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
The Lagos Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had on February 3, 2022, arraigned Morufu Adewale, (a.k.a Gbegunleri Adelana), Abayomi Alaka (a.k.a. Dauda Usman Alashe), Omitogun Ajayi and Ajisegiri Abiodun before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos. Three other defendants, Taiwo Ahmed, Raufu Raheem and Sanlabiu Teslim, had initially been listed at large.
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However, the trial could not be concluded before the retirement of Justice Taiwo.
This prompted the re-assignment of the case file to Justice Oshodi, even as the EFCC intensified its efforts to secure the arrest of the other suspected fraudsters.
Subsequently, all seven defendants were in December 2022 re-arraigned on an amended three-count charge.
Count one reads: “Morufu Yahaya Adewale, Omitogun Ajayi, Ajisegiri Abiodun, Abayomi Kamaldeen Alaka, Taiwo Olamilekan Ahmed, Raufu Wale Raheem and Sanlabiu Owolabi Teslim between May and July 2018 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division obtained the total sum of £1,000,000.00 (One Million Pounds Sterling) from Dr. and Dr. (Mrs) Lateef Oladimeji Bello for the purpose of conducting prayers for spiritual cleansing of the family and that the money will be refunded after the prayers within one week, which you knew to be false.”
Count three reads: “Morufu Yahaya Adewale, Omitogun Ajayi, Ajisegiri Abiodun, Abayomi Kamaldeen Alaka, Taiwo Olamilekan Ahmed, Raufu Wale Raheem and Sanlabiu Owolabi Teslim between August and September 2018 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division obtained the total sum of N175,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Seventy-five Million Naira Only) from Dr. and Dr. (Mrs) Lateef Oladimeji Bello for the purpose of conducting spiritual prayers for spiritual cleansing of their son and the family and that the money will be refunded one week after the prayers which you knew to be false.”
They all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, prompting the commencement of their trial.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, N. K.Ukoha, during the sitting on Friday, Wasiu identified the suspects in the dock and also narrated how he and his team members arrested them in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
He said: “In July 2021, I got a call from DCP Abba Kyari, who was then our team leader before I was transferred out of Abuja. He informed me about a fraud discovered in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, being handled by the EFCC. He said some of the suspects had been arrested, while others were at large. I was ordered by him to arrest the fleeing suspects. Their phone numbers were given to me; and from there, I got the location of the suspects. Some of my men and I traced them to Gberigbe in Ikorodu.”
Giving further testimony, he said: “ The suspects were arrested inside a house. When we got to their hideout, the suspects attempted to run away. Raheem went on to climb the ceiling, the second suspect too ran away, while the third suspect managed to escape through the fence into the next compound. We jumped into that building and arrested one of them immediately. The others were still missing.
“While my men jumped over the fence in search of the suspects, someone, who was going in the street, quietly informed us that the suspect we were looking for had hidden somewhere. So, we went there to arrest him.
“During this operation, the three suspects who were arrested were taken to Abuja for further interrogations. They were also informed of the reason for their arrest.”
According to him, the suspects confessed to have duped a woman, identified as Dr.(Mrs ) Bello, of the sum of N675 million, after they had assured her of conducting a spiritual cleansing for her son.
Wasiu also told the court that during their interrogations in Abuja, their confessional statements were video-recorded through the NPF Camera and copied on the Nigeria Police laptop computer as well as a flash drive.
The PW3 added that “the flash drive was given to the EFCC, while the suspects were also handed over to the Commission.”
Thereafter, the prosecution counsel sought to tender the video as evidence before the court.
However, the defence counsel, particularly Olalekan Ojo, SAN, representing the 3rd and 4th defendants, objected to the admissibility of the video, on the grounds that the confessional statements “were made under duress” and that “the documents were obtained through the instrumentality of coercion.”
The defence counsel also submitted that the defendants’s lawyers were not with them when the confessional statements were obtained from them.
Ojo further argued that the witness did not occupy the position that warranted his use of electronic devices such as operating a video.
“Is the flash drive a documentary evidence?” he asked.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case till October 11, 2024, for ruling and continuation of trial.
A 45-year-old woman, Mrs. Oluchi Ugbowan, has been arrested by the Edo State Police Command for allegedly orchestrating her own kidnapping in a desperate attempt to extort N50 million from her family.
Police said the suspect, alongside three accomplices, staged an elaborate kidnapping drama, complete with videos showing her bound and allegedly held captive, in a bid to convince relatives that she had fallen into the hands of kidnappers.
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The Edo State Police Command disclosed on Tuesday that the scheme was uncovered following a complaint lodged by Mrs. Ugbowan’s husband, Mr. Tony Ugbowan, who reported that his wife had been kidnapped while on her way to her shop at Ramat Park along Agbor Road in Benin City.
According to police spokesperson ASP Eno Ikedem, the husband told investigators that he had received a call from an unknown individual using a concealed phone number, demanding a ransom of N50 million for his wife’s release.
The report prompted operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to launch an intensive investigation, combining intelligence gathering and technical tracking to uncover the truth behind the alleged abduction.
The breakthrough came with the arrest of one Israel Ability, 28, at Ramat Park, Agbor Road, Benin City. During the operation, detectives recovered a mobile phone belonging to the supposed victim.
Police said Ability later confessed during interrogation that the kidnapping was staged and that he had been recruited by Mrs. Ugbowan to negotiate ransom payments with her family while pretending she had been abducted.
Further investigations led officers to a hotel in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, where Mrs. Ugbowan was arrested on June 5, 2026.
During questioning, she allegedly admitted to masterminding the fake kidnapping and subsequently led investigators to the residence of another suspect, Ochukwudem Uwadia, 38, in Delta State.
According to the police, Uwadia’s residence served as the location where the fake kidnapping videos were produced.
The clips reportedly showed Mrs. Ugbowan with her hands and feet tied while emotional appeals for ransom were directed at her family.
Investigators also discovered that Uwadia’s 18-year-old son, Chibuzor Ochukwudem, allegedly participated in the scheme and was seen pointing a firearm at Mrs. Ugbowan’s head in the videos to make the kidnapping appear genuine.
Police said all four suspects connected to the alleged conspiracy have now been arrested.
A search conducted at the premises used for the production of the videos led to the recovery of an automatic pump-action gun allegedly used during the recording of the ransom footage.
The Edo State Police Command said the suspects will face prosecution upon the conclusion of investigations, warning members of the public against engaging in criminal schemes disguised as kidnapping incidents.
The European Union has imposed a €200 million fine on Chinese-owned online retail platform Temu over the sale of illegal and unsafe products across its marketplace.
EU regulators announced the penalty on Thursday, accusing the e-commerce giant of failing to properly prevent dangerous items from reaching consumers within the bloc.
According to the European Commission, European shoppers were highly likely to encounter illegal products on Temu, including unsafe baby toys, defective chargers, and jewellery that failed safety standards.
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The EU said Temu failed to adequately assess the risks linked to illegal products being sold on its platform, adding that the company underestimated the level of harm such items could pose to consumers.
EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen said Temu’s rapid expansion in Europe made the issue more concerning, noting that millions of users could potentially be exposed to unsafe products.
Temu, however, disagreed with the decision and described the fine as “disproportionate.” The company stated that it had cooperated with regulators and already introduced additional measures to improve platform governance and user safety.
The sanction was issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, a major law aimed at holding large digital platforms accountable for illegal content and consumer risks online.
The platform, which entered the European market in 2023, has grown rapidly and now boasts about 130 million users within the EU.
Regulators also disclosed that investigations into other suspected breaches by Temu are still ongoing, including concerns over addictive app features and its recommendation systems.
Temu has been given until August 28 to submit a compliance plan outlining how it intends to address the violations or risk facing further penalties.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, over his alleged involvement in a N33.8 billion fraud linked to power sector projects in Nigeria.
The arrest comes months after Mamman was convicted in absentia on multiple counts bordering on the alleged diversion of public funds meant for critical electricity infrastructure, including the Mambilla Power Project and other national power initiatives.
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EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, confirmed that the former minister was apprehended at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the Rigasa area of Kaduna State following weeks of intelligence-led surveillance operations.
According to him, Mamman had evaded arrest since his conviction and sentencing, prompting a sustained nationwide search by EFCC operatives.
He said the arrest represents a major breakthrough in the commission’s efforts to ensure that all individuals found guilty of financial crimes are brought to justice, regardless of their status or influence.
Two suspects arrested for allegedly harbouring ex-minister
The EFCC also disclosed that two other individuals were arrested during the operation for allegedly assisting and providing shelter to the former minister while he was on the run.
Investigators are currently questioning the suspects to determine the extent of their involvement in aiding a convicted fugitive.
Properties and assets under investigation
The anti-graft agency further revealed that it has identified additional properties suspected to be linked to Mamman, adding that asset recovery processes are already underway.
EFCC boss Olukoyede noted that the case has exposed weaknesses in monitoring high-profile corruption trials, adding that reforms would be introduced to prevent similar lapses in future cases.
Prosecutor confirms enforcement of court order
The Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said the arrest marks the enforcement of a court judgment, stating that Mamman’s conviction and sentence are now being fully implemented following his capture.
He added that the next step would be the ex-minister’s transfer to a correctional facility in line with legal procedures.
Bizteller recalls that Saleh Mamman was convicted over allegations of diverting funds allocated for major power projects, including the Mambilla hydroelectric scheme, one of Nigeria’s largest and most strategic energy investments.
The EFCC says the arrest underscores its commitment to tackling corruption and recovering stolen public funds across the country.
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