Owner of cybercrime centre jailed 10 years, forfeits cars, land – Newstrends
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Owner of cybercrime centre jailed 10 years, forfeits cars, land

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Ikemesit Edet

Owner of cybercrime centre jailed 10 years, forfeits cars, land

The Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction and sentence of the proprietor of Uyo Cybercrime Training Centre, Ikemesit Edet (a.k.a Hustle Kingdom HK).

A statement shared on EFCC Facebook page on Saturday said Edet was jailed on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 after pleading guilty to two-count charges bordering on impersonation, love scam, hacking/editing of social media accounts and private criminal tutoring, upon his arraignment by the Uyo Zonal Command of the EFCC.

According to the anti-graft agency, “Count one reads: That you IKEMESIT EDET IK sometime in January, 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court, being the occupier and a person concerned with the management of the premises situates and lying at No. 57 D-Line, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, did knowingly permit the use of the entire aforesaid premises as a CYBERCRIME ACADEMY, also known as Hustle Kingdom (HK) where you recruited ten (10) young Nigerians between ages 16-25 and taught them cybercrime techniques for perpetrating cyber crimes to wit: hacking, impersonation, and obtaining money by false pretence (Advance Fee Fraud) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 3 of the same Act.

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“Count two reads: That you IKEMESIT EDET IK between May 2020 and December 2023 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did take possession total sum of Fifteen Million Naira Only (-N=15,000,000.00) which you knew forms proceed of an unlawful act to wit: Cybercrime and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)\d) of the Money laundering (Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

Edet was said to have pleaded guilty to both charges preferred against him by the Commission, prompting prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly. He also prayed that the court ordered the forfeiture of all exhibits recovered from him at the point of arrest. However, defence counsel Francis Ezike prayed the court to be lenient in sentencing the defendant.

After listening to both counsels, Justice Ojukwu convicted Edet and sentenced him to five years jail term on each count, with an option of fine of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) on each count.

The court also ordered that all recovered exhibits from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The exhibits include: 13 laptops, a gold- coloured Toyota Corolla, a Lexus Jeep RX 300 and about 3,080.25 square metres of land located at Ibiaku Obio Ndobo Village, Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Edet’s journey to the Correctional Centre commenced on January 22, 2024, when investigators from the EFCC’s office in Uyo acted on intelligence and arrested 10 suspects at his Cybercrimes Training Centre at D-Line Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo. All the suspects have been charged to court and convicted.

Owner of cybercrime centre jailed 10 years, forfeits cars, land

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Terrorists kill eight vigilantes in Kaduna community, two village heads

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Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan,

Terrorists kill eight vigilantes in Kaduna community, two village heads

No fewer than eight vigilante members and two others were killed by terrorists in Kakangi and Unguwan Matinja communities in Kaduna’s Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.

The local leaders of Kakangi and Kisaya villages in Kakangi Ward were also kidnapped.

A resident of the LG, Idris Khalid, who confirmed the event to our correspondent, claimed the gun-wielding men invaded the villages about early Thursday.

Bala Kamba, Abdurrahman Musa (Ubale), Kabiru Dan Dugui, Hambali Abu, Aliyu Abu, Nura Jika (Maleka), Mubarak Musa (Dan Wamba), and Ikra Hantsi were the eight vigilante members killed at Kakangi.

Khalid also revealed that the two victims in the Ungwan Matinja neighbourhood of Gayam Ward were Christopher Abubakar and Isah Gambo.

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He claimed the vigilantes were attacked while tracking down the kidnapped victims, who were abducted on their way to a funeral between Kakangi and Sabon Layi.

“The vigilantes engaged the terrorists, killing scores of them, but could not rescue the two traditional rulers and others.

“Normally, anytime there is a kidnapping incident, the vigilantes always trail the terrorists to rescue the victims.

“It’s unfortunate that in the process, eight gallant officers of the vigilantes who have been sacrificing to ensure the safety of our people were lost,” the resident said.

When contacted, the State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, stated, “We are investigating the matter to determine the true story because the area where the incident occurred had a network problem.”

Terrorists kill eight vigilantes in Kaduna community, two village heads

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Repentant Boko Haram members burn NDLEA, Customs checkpoints in Borno

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Repentant Boko Haram members burn NDLEA, Customs checkpoints in Borno

A group of suspected repentant Boko Haram insurgents, on Wednesday stormed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Customs Service checkpoints at Kasuwan Fara, a suburb of Maiduguri metropolis, chasing away the personnel on duty and setting ablaze all structures at the checkpoints.

The incident, according to security analyst and counter insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, followed a fierce encounter between the former Boko Haram combatants and the police at the Kasuwan Fara Divisional Police Office.

The suspected repentant insurgents, reportedly wearing military uniform, had pounced on the police office to forcefully set free their eight colleagues arrested at the suburb over criminal activities bordering on dealing in hard drugs.

The arrest was made on April 24 during a raid carried out by the police on the notorious spot at the criminals-ridden Kasuwan Fara.

“Due to the rise and persistence of criminal activities and sinister operations by drug peddlers comprising dismissed military personnel, repentant insurgents and other hoodlums, who assemble there to conduct nefarious activities, the area had since been earmarked for closure by Borno State Government.

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“The April 24 raid, where the eight suspected repentant insurgents were arrested and 426 bottles of spirits such as dry gin confiscated, was conducted to sanitize the area, pending the final closure.

“The arrested persons were detained at the Kasuwan Fara police division since the day of their arrest.

” Subsequently, at about 7:40 am of Thursday, May 2, a dozen of the suspected repentant insurgents in military uniform, stormed the Kasuwan Fara police station in an attempt to rescue their arrested fellows.

” The Divisional Police Officer alongside his men were able to repel the attack while the perpetrators fled.

” Consequently, the assailants, in an apparent transfer of aggression, reverted to attacking NDLEA and NCS personnel checkpoint along the Maiduguri-Gubio road Kasuwan Fara, where they burnt down the checkpoints alongside the sandbags heaped on the road and fled the scene, ” Zagazola Makama said.

Borno Police Command spokesman, ASP Kenneth Daso, who confirmed the incident, said investigations were ongoing to apprehend the attackers, adding that the arrested eight suspects have been handed over to relevant security quarters.

Repentant Boko Haram members burn NDLEA, Customs checkpoints in Borno

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Police identify officer who shot man dead at fuel station

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Police identify officer who shot man dead at fuel station

The Police Command in Lagos State has identified the officer who allegedly shot a man dead at a filling station in the Obalende area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development in a post he shared on his verified X handle@ben Hundeyin on Thursday.

He said that the officer had been identified.

“The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos.

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“Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available, ” he said.

According to Hundeyin, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade is working with the family of the deceased to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.

It could be recalled that the deceased, Toheeb Eniasa, was shot dead by a policemam on Wednesday while struggled to buy fuel.

It was learnt that two officers drove into the station to purchase fuel but motorists asked them to join the queue.

In the process, an argument ensured which resulited into a fight and one of the officers shot Eniasa and ran away.

Police identify officer who shot man dead at fuel station

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