metro
Prophetess, celebrity couple declared wanted over drug trafficking
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Sunday declared a Port Harcourt-based popular prophetess and founder of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, Faith Ugochi, and a celebrity couple, Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Simba Allen, wanted for recruiting teenage girls into drug trafficking.
Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement that the prophetess and the celebrity couple were the arrowheads of an international illicit drugs syndicate operating from Los Angeles, USA.
The statement read in part, “The lid was blown off the cartel when NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a consignment of 32.70 kilogrammes of Loud, a strong variant of cannabis, concealed in cartons of used wears on Wednesday 16th November 2022.
“A freight agent, Ukoh Ifeanyi Oguguo, was immediately arrested while further investigations led to the arrest of four more suspects: Chikodi Favour; Obiyom Shalom Chiamaka; Nnochiri Chidinma Promise and Edward Omatseye (aka Montana).
“The 15-year-old Favour was the first sales girl to be arrested at a fuel station in the Ajah area of Lagos. She thereafter led the operatives to a duplex accommodation around Ikate area of Lekki, which was later discovered to be a rented apartment by the criminal group purposely for four young girls that the syndicate uses for marketing and distribution of illicit drugs.
“Another girl, Shalom who is a fresh graduate of Agricultural Science from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, was picked from the house alongside Favour.
“During their preliminary interviews, it was learnt that the syndicate rented another building used as drugs warehouse inside Richmond Estate, Lekki.
“By the time operatives located the house, it was discovered that other members of the syndicate had broken into the store and carted away bags of illicit substances.
“However, some illicit drugs paraphernalia including sealing machine, bloating machine and packaging bags were recovered from the warehouse.
“A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Edward Omatseye at his residence around Lekki area. Edward confessed during interview to be working for Igho and his wife, Danielle, who are identified as the overall heads of the criminal group.
“Investigation was able to establish that Favour and Shalom were recruited as sales girls in the illicit drug trade by Prophetess Faith Ugochi of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, using her church platform to recruit teenage girls brought to her for help, on behalf of the celebrity couple: Igho Ubiribo (aka Tiny) and Danielle Simba Allen (aka Dani), who are the owners of the business.
“Edward Omatseye (aka Montana) coordinates the illicit drug trade activities for them in Nigeria, with Nnochiri Chidinma Promise as representative of Ben Cargo Ltd, a freight company responsible for the shipment of illicit consignments into the country.”
metro
$13m fraud: FBI seeks EFCC help to arrest Nigerian suspects
$13m fraud: FBI seeks EFCC help to arrest Nigerian suspects
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been tasked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America to locate and apprehend two Nigerians, Babatunde Shodiya and Yinka Jamiu, who were listed as wanted for allegedly using a fraudulent website to extort American medical facilities in Minnesota of $13m.
A grand jury in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota arraigned them on September 25 for their involvement in a fraud conspiracy that deceived many healthcare providers between October 2020 and 2024.
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Shodiya and Jamiu allegedly used falsified websites and email addresses to manipulate payment transfers on Optum Pay, a popular payment system among Minnesota’s healthcare providers under the guise of being owned by Fairview Health.
Using these fictitious email addresses, the fraud team sent emails to Fairview Health staff, deceiving them into supplying login information.
They created a counterfeit website, fairviewhospitals.org, and pretended to be key hospital personnel, including the CEO, executive vice president, and a business analyst.
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In addition to the wire fraud allegations, Shodiya is charged with aggravated identity theft for pretending to be Fairview executives.
Luger said, “As part of the scheme, Babatunde and Jamiu created a fake ‘spoofed’ internet domain designed to appear as though it was controlled by Fairview Health.”
“In total, Babatunde and Ahmed fraudulently directed more than $13m in payments intended for Fairview Health from Minnesota-based healthcare companies to accounts controlled by Babatunde, Ahmed, and their co-conspirators.”
However, the U.S. security agency has confirmed that the suspects are Nigerian citizens who also reside in Nigeria and have called on Nigeria’s EFCC to seek their assistance.
“The U.S. officials reached out to us and informed us that the suspects are believed to be hiding in Nigeria
“We have a duty to honour this request in line with our long-standing collaboration with the U.S. in addressing cross-border crimes,” an EFCC officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, said.
Once the EFCC successfully hunts down Mr Shodiya and Mr Jamiu, they will be taken to the U.S. to face trial while also compromising all assets linked to the profits of the crime to the American authorities.
$13m fraud: FBI seeks EFCC help to arrest Nigerian suspects
metro
Horror as man stabs father to death in Lagos
Horror as man stabs father to death in Lagos
A 25-year-old man, Chibunnma Chimelie, has been taken into custody by the Lagos State Police for allegedly stabbing his 68-year-old father to death.
The tragic incident took place on Thursday at around 10:00 p.m. in the Isolo area of Lagos, according to the state’s police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the report.
Hundeyin shared that the incident was brought to light when the suspect’s brother filed a complaint at the Aswani Police Divisional Station.
“The complainant stated that he received a call from a neighbour, informing him that his father was having a serious altercation with the suspect, who also lived in the same house,” said Hundeyin.
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Upon arriving at the scene, the complainant found his father lying in a pool of blood, unresponsive.
The police swiftly responded to the situation and arrested the suspect at the scene. Investigators found a blood-stained knife near the body, which has been taken as evidence.
“A team of investigators arrived at the location, documented the scene, and transported the victim to General Hospital, Isolo, where doctors later confirmed his death,” Hundeyin explained.
The victim’s body has since been taken to the General Hospital Mortuary, while the suspect has reportedly confessed to the crime. Authorities are continuing their investigation to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
Horror as man stabs father to death in Lagos
metro
Amotekun foils 5 kidnap attempts in Ondo, rescues 9 victims
Amotekun foils 5 kidnap attempts in Ondo, rescues 9 victims
Operatives of Amotekun have foiled five kidnap attempts and rescued nine kidnap victims across the state within one week. Mr Adetunji Adeleye, state Commander of Amotekun Corps, made the disclosure on Friday in Akure while parading 20 suspected criminals arrested for crimes like cultism, house breaking, motorcycle theft, among others.
Adeleye, who said that the arrests were made within a week under review through the Amotekun Rangers, reiterated the corps commitment to ensuring the safety and security of residents in the state.
He said that the Amotekun rangers had been active in combing the forests across Ondo state, particularly in known flashpoints, to keep kidnappers at bay.
According to the commander, the suspected kidnapper, 28-year-old Usman Abubakar, who was arrested in Igbo Oba, Owo, confirmed collecting N2 million from a victim.
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“Abubakar told us how they shared the N2 million, and he also told us how to get to the root of their godfathers.
“The Amotekun Rangers launched by Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State had, recently, penetrated the forest substantially within the week under review.
“We were able to resist five kidnapping attempts and we were also able to rescue nine victims. That is to say that the kidnap attempts failed.
“Moreover, the notorious portion of Elegbeka area has been bombarded, and we are glad to say that the Amotekun Rangers had infiltrated the entire forest to guarantee safety of commuters,” he said.
Adeleye, therefore, reassured the public that the rangers would continue to infiltrate the entire forest to ensure the safety of commuters and safeguard lives and properties.
Amotekun foils 5 kidnap attempts in Ondo, rescues 9 victims
(NAN)
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