…As EFCC arrests 113 cyber crime suspects in Benin***
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu announced Monday that 1,154 suspected kidnappers were arrested across the country between January and August, just as the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it arrested no fewer than 113 internet fraud suspects in only eight months in Edo, through its ‘Operation Re-wire’.
Adamu, who made the disclosure on Monday during the Southwest Geopolitical Zone Security Summit held in Ibadan, said that 147 of the arrests were made in the Southwest, adding that a total of 837 victims of kidnapping were rescued with 106 of such rescues achieved in the Southwest.
“Between January and August, a total of 552 murder suspects were arrested with 66 such arrests effected, in the Southwest.
“2,015 armed robbery suspects were arrested with 363 of the figure arrested in the zone.
“1,183 suspected cultists were napped, out of which 425 were arrested in the zone.
“In relation to recovery, 1,356 firearms of various calibre and descriptions were recovered in various intelligence-led operations by the Police, with 277 of such recoveries made in the Southwest.
“Similarly, 21,300 ammunition of various descriptions and calibre were recovered with the highest number of 5,270 ammunition recovered from criminal syndicates in the zone.
“Also, 1,541 stolen vehicles were recovered across the country, with 482 of such recoveries in Southwest,” he stated.
The IGP said the statistics pointed out that the Police in recent months have developed capacity and demonstrated the requisite professional zeal.
He, however, said there were isolated cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in the Southwest, particularly along and across Ondo state.
He said the current operations of the Police and other security agencies across the country, particularly along Niger- Kogi- FCT -Kaduna -Katsina and Zamfara state has been successful.
“The operations areas have engendered a dispersal and relocation of some of the criminals to new localities including the Southwest.”
He said a special operation was underway across South west to specifically address the threat of kidnapping and armed robbery on the highways Benin-Ore-Lagos highwayand other locations.
Also read: Police arrest armed robbery suspect, recover firearms
He therefore called on the security stakeholders in the zone to support the Police in strengthening and advancing in the interest of communal and internal security.
On the essence of the security summit, Adamu said the meeting was convened within the context of police community policing vision which emphasise citizens engagement in the process of identifying, dissecting ”and prioritising threats to communal values.
“Partnering to develop strategies to address the threats and building trust to undertake actions directed at mitigating them.”
He noted that experience from the first security summit held in the North East geopolitical zone highlighted the fact that Police could not proceed on an anti-crime war against criminal elements that were united in their determination to threaten nation’s common values with a divided front.
“Hence we must as a strategy, strengthen partnership among ourselves as a community on the one hand and between the communities and the Police on the other hand.
“The strength of this partnership and the commitment of all actors within the process will undoubtedly, influence the extent of success we can record against the criminals”, he stated further, noting that the first security summit underscores the strategic importance of community policing as the most potent strategy for internal security governance.
Adamu further disclosed that 40,000 Community Police Officers (CPOs) would be recruited in order to give full effect to Community Policing Vision as a pathway towards bridging security gaps across the country.
He said the CPOs would be recruited from within the communities where the prospective applicants reside.
Reading the communique at the end of the summit, the host governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, said that the IGP has approved the deployment of special forces to be commanded by a Commissioner of Police.
Makinde said the CP would lead a Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) team to support the crime-fighting initiative of the state commissioners of police.
Makinde said the South West States Governors have made commitment towards provision of more serviceable, fast-moving patrol vehicles in support of crime-fighting, which shall be launched in no distant future, to complement the available fleet.
He said the traditional rulers have promised to join hands with the Police to take the ongoing fight against heinous crime to the door steps of the criminals.
“The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has equally agreed to partner with the Police in fighting crime to bring it to the lowest ebb.
“The deployment of cutting-edge technology like CCTV will be strengthened. Aerial surveillance of flashpoints across the South West Geo-political Zone will be sustained.
“In order to give effect to the community policing vision of the Nigeria Police Force, Community Policing Officers (CPOs) would be recruited from within the communities where they reside.
“This will complement the Police in law enforcement functions within their localities by performing low-risk and non-sensitive police functions.
“It’s agreed that a committee, consisting of policemen, other security agencies, the OPC led by Chief Gani Adams, Miyetti Allah and the citizenry should be set up in each state.
“This is further discuss the modalities on reduction of crime and criminalities as it affects the state,” Makinde stated.
The governors of the Southwest states; Oyo – Makinde and Osun – Gboyega Oyetola were present at the occasion while Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti were represented by their deputies.
They were Dr Obafemi Hamzat- Lagos, Noimot Salako- Oyedele- Ogun, Agboola Ajayi- Ondo and Bisi Egbeyemi-Ekiti.
Traditional rulers across the Southwest geopolitical zone and Chief Gani Adams- the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land also participated in the summit.
Among the monarchs were the Ooni of Ife- Oba Enitan Igunwusi, Oba of Lagos- Rilwan Akinolu, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo- Alake of Egba land and Oba Akanmu Adetunji- Olubadan of Ibadan.
In the meantime, the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it arrested no fewer than 113 internet fraud suspects in eight months through its ‘Operation Re-wire’.
Mr Muktar Bello, Head of Operations, EFCC in the zone, said this on Monday during a news conference in Benin, noting that the arrest took place between January and August in its area of jurisdiction, including Edo, Delta and Ondo states.
According to him, the feat was made possible because of the anti-graft commission’s new strategic plans to tackle the menace of cyber crimes in the zone.
He said that the commission secured 53 convictions during the period under review, while other cases were still pending in different courts.
He said that several exotic cars, laptops, mobile phones, flash drives, internet modems and charms were recovered from the suspects.
Bello said the commission, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), would soon bust cyber crime kingpins and personalities in th zone, using the new operation wire.
He gave assurance that the operation would ensure that businesses and properties established and connected to suspected cyber criminals would be confiscated.
“Very soon you will see us closing up car dealerships and raiding hotels, but all these are end result of Business E-mail Compromise (BEC),” he said.
He said that the collaboration with the FBI had led to the arrest of a female suspected cyber fraudster, who allegedly worked in collaboration with foreign counterparts in a darkweb.
Bello said the suspect specialised in obtaining and stealing people’s identification information, which she usually forwarded to her American collaborator.
“Her collaborator uses it to file for fraudulent tax return with the Internal Revenue Service, and she receives her cut through Bitcoin.
“About 185 Bitcoin, which by current market value is over N656 million, has been traced to her,” Bello said.
