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China opens police station in Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

October 19, 2022

The Chinese government has opened police stations in Nigeria and in over 20 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa in its effort to tackle the increasing criminal activities of its citizens abroad.

This was contained in an investigative statement titled, ‘110 Overseas Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild.’

It was widely reported that the police stations are created to bring “down on all kinds of illegal and criminal activities involving overseas Chinese.”

Lesotho and Tanzania are the two other African countries apart from Nigeria that have Chinese police stations.

The report by Safeguard Defender revealed, “Rather than cooperating with local authorities in the full respect of territorial sovereignty, it prefers…to cooperate with (United Front-linked) overseas ‘NGOs’ or ‘civil society associations’ across the ﬁve continents, setting up an alternative policing and judicial system within third countries, and directly implicating those organisations in the illegal methods employed to pursue ‘fugitives’.”

It further said that as part of a massive nationwide campaign to combat fraud and telecommunication fraud by Chinese citizens living abroad, Chinese authorities claimed that from April 2021 to July 2022, 230,000 nationals had been, “persuaded to return” to face criminal proceedings in China.

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China’s ofﬁcial statements clarified the use of depriving suspects’ children of the right to education back in China and other actions against relatives and family members in a full-on “guilt by association” campaign.

The rights group revealed that China selected nine countries as having serious fraud, telecom fraud and web crimes, and Chinese nationals were no longer allowed to stay in those countries without “good reason.”

“While establishing these operations to hunt down those accused of fraud and telecommunications fraud, China identiﬁed nine countries particularly prone to hosting Chinese nationals engaging in such criminal activities, the ‘nine forbidden countries’,” the Safeguard explained.

However, the setting up of overseas police ‘service stations’ was a worldwide phenomenon, with the majority of such being in western democratic nations, with a particular focus on Europe, and not in the ‘nine forbidden countries’.

The group also noted that forsaking any “pretext of due process or the consideration of suspects’ innocence until proven guilty, targeting suspects’ children and relatives in China as ‘guilty by association’ or ‘collateral damage’, and using threats and intimidation to target suspects abroad, is now itself becoming an endemic problem.”

“Whether the targets are dissidents, corrupt ofﬁcials or low-level criminals, the problem remains the same: The use of irregular methods — often combining carrots with sticks — against the targeted individual or their family members in China undermines any due process and the most basic rights of suspects,” Safeguard Defender further stated.

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Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos

Published

2 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos

A fire outbreak has razed the Okokomaiko police station and surrounding buildings in Lagos, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.

According to LASEMA’s permanent secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the inferno started in a diesel tanker carrying 10,000 gallons of fuel.

He stated that the tanker caught fire while supplying diesel to a network tower near the police station.

According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the inferno spread fast to surrounding properties, devouring police station offices, three bungalows, and parts of a hotel.

The statement said, “Following distress calls received via the 767/112 Toll-Free Emergency Lines at 12:38 hrs, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans and its Emergency Response Team from the Igando Base,” the statement read.

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“Upon arrival at the incident scene, a loaded diesel tanker (registration number unknown) was found to have caught fire at the aforementioned location.

“Further investigation revealed that the diesel tanker, laden with 10,000 litres of diesel, was supplying a network mast at the aforesaid location when it caught fire while discharging its contents.

“However, the fire reportedly spread to adjoining buildings, one of which is Okokomaiko police station, due to negligence. No loss of lives nor injuries were sustained as a result of the fire incident.

“Three bungalows were completely burnt down when the fire reignited, with household properties worth hundreds of thousands of naira affected. One lock-up shop and four containerised shops were also burnt down.

“A generator house of an unknown hotel and their kitchen was also affected. Cables of the PHCN transformer nearby were also affected.”

Oke-Osanyintolu stated that emergency response teams from LASEMA, LASTMA, the fire service, the Nigerian Army, and the police collaborated to control the disaster.

Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos

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EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede

Published

12 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede

EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has assured that the agency will surpass its 2024 record in the fight against corruption in 2025

Olukoyede who made the promise in Abuja on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, in a New Year Message to Nigerians affirmed that officers of the Commission will be unrelenting in breaking strongholds of corrupt practices across the country in the new year.

“ Our work is more than a vocation but a patriotic calling. We know this and will always offer our best to move the nation forward. 2025 will be another year of bringing towers of corruption down. Our focus is set and our commitment is total”, he said.

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The EFCC Chairman also called on Nigerians from all walks of life to be more determined and steadfast in their rejection of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption, pointing out that the progress of the country is awaiting their resolve in this regard.

According to Olukoyede, progress and robust development of the commanding heights of the economy and improvement in the quality of lives of Nigerians are hinged on rejection of corruption.

“We can make any progress and development we want for our nation to happen by our support for anti-corruption initiatives. The new year is offering us fresh opportunities to recommit ourselves to the ideals of transparency, accountability, and probity. The commanding heights of the economy and improvement in our lives can only be driven by our dedication to integrity and accountable conduct”.

The EFCC boss also wished Nigerians a happy and prosperous new year.

EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede

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Two online scammers arrested in Rivers for defrauding woman of N110m

Published

21 minutes ago

January 1, 2025

Trends Admin

Two online scammers arrested in Rivers for defrauding woman of N110m

Operatives of the C4i Intelligence Unit of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested two suspected online scammers, Michael Onyedikachi and Akachukwu Benedict, for defrauding a Canada-based Nigerian woman of N110m.

The spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 said the victim, Sandra Austin, a resident in Ontario, Canada, was deceived by the suspects into transferring N110m over two years.

Iringe-Koko explained that the scam began in February 2022 when Sandra received a Facebook friend request from an account named “Engineer Desmond Chibuike Okechukwu.

“Initially hesitant, Sandra eventually accepted the request, which led to frequent exchanges of messages. The individual behind the account posed as an engineer capable of assisting her in constructing properties in Nigeria,” the statement read.

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“The fraud escalated when the suspect persuaded Sandra to move their conversations to WhatsApp, where he shared photos of luxury homes he claimed to have built in upscale areas like Ajah, Lagos.

“Sandra expressed interest in one of the showcased properties, which the scammer claimed would cost N150m. Trusting his claims, she transferred a total of N110m to a provided bank account between 2022 and 2024.

After making a final payment of N30m, she was abruptly blocked from all communication channels.

The scam caused Sandra’s blood pressure to spike, requiring hospitalisation. Determined to seek justice, she contacted her family in Nigeria, who reported the matter to the police.

Following a petition to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the case was referred to the C4i Intelligence Unit in Port Harcourt for a discreet investigation.

“The suspects attempted to intimidate Sandra to deter her from involving the authorities. However, the operatives, through intelligence-led policing, apprehended two suspects,” the statement read.

The first suspect, 29-year-old Michael Onyedikachi from Nkanu West LGA in Enugu State, was arrested on 14 August 2024 in his bungalow in Ama-Okponike, Enugu.

Iringe-Koko said Michael confessed to creating the fake “Engineer Desmond” account and admitted to using downloaded images of construction projects to deceive Sandra.

“Michael spent eight months in Accra, Ghana, learning online fraud techniques. During his arrest, a shrine believed to be linked to his fraudulent activities was discovered in his residence.”

The arrest of Michael led to the apprehension of his accomplice, 29-year-old Akachukwu Benedict, from Ngo-Okpala LGA, Imo State, on 16 August 2024.

Akachukwu was found in a hotel suite in Enugu, which he had booked for a year. He admitted to introducing Michael to online fraud in 2022 and confessed to swindling an American woman out of $600 in 2021.

The suspects revealed that they used cloned SIM cards and cryptocurrency wallets to avoid detection.

Items recovered from them included a Toyota Corolla, land documents, laptops, and mobile phones.

The police stated that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other accomplices, adding that the suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.

“The swift action by the C4i Intelligence Unit underscores their commitment to combating cybercrime and ensuring justice for victims,” the statement concluded.