Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 have arrested 38 individuals suspected of internet fraud.

According to a Facebook post by EFCC and cited by PUNCH Online on Friday, the arrests took place at Mambillah Hotel on Omodisu Street, Ikorodu, Lagos, based on reliable intelligence and extensive surveillance targeting alleged cybercrime activities in the area.

Authorities recovered various items from the suspects, including vehicles, mobile phones, and a combination of psychoactive and controlled substances.

The suspects are set to face court proceedings once investigations are finalised.

In another development, two brothers, Teddy Ovbokhan Hart and Rooney Odion Hart, and 10 others were on Thursday, convicted and sentenced to jail by Justice M. Itsueli of Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City, for fraud.

The 10 other convicts are: Thompson Ogbeide, Iria Saturday Blessed, Igbinomwania Lucky Godspower, Ojiezele Felix, Akhigbe Gideon, Osazuwa Oghomwen, Agbonifo Iziegbe, Lucky Osagie, Osemwegie Efosa Michael, and Victor Ojeisemi.

They were prosecuted by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on separate one-count charge, bordering on advance fee fraud, obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fraudulent documents.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

More details have emerged about the violent clash that claimed the life of a trader, Sodiq Ibrahim, in the Mandillas area of Lagos Island on Wednesday.

It was gathered that Ibrahim was allegedly stabbed to death by his colleague, Ebuka Adindu, during a dispute over the sharing of N8,000.

The incident briefly disrupted commercial activities in the busy Balogun market, with shops shutting their doors before business resumed on Thursday.

While rumours of ethnic tension trailed the clash on social media, the Lagos State Police Command dismissed such claims.

The police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said, “During the fight, one Ebuka Adindu from Abia State stabbed one Sodiq Ibrahim from Kogi State to death.

“The said Adindu in turn stabbed himself on the shoulder and became unconscious. He is currently under arrest in the hospital, where he is being treated. Investigation into the matter will be concluded, and he will be prosecuted after he has been discharged.”

Findings revealed that both men were members of a group known as Oso Ahia, loosely translated from Igbo as “market hustlers.”

Their role, our correspondent gathered, is to bring customers from outside into shops in exchange for a commission.

Trouble, however, began on Wednesday after a shop owner handed over N8,000 to be shared between the two.

A trader in the market, Funmi Arewa, confirmed this version of events to our correspondents on Thursday.

“It was just two hustlers who usually bring customers to shop owners for commission,” she said.

“Both of them happened to bring the same customer, and the shop owner gave them N8,000 to share. That’s where the problem started.

“They began arguing over how to split the money, and in the middle of the fight, one of them stabbed the other. He probably didn’t mean to kill him, but sadly, the boy bled to death.”

Another trader, identified simply as Moshood, corroborated Arewa’s account. He dismissed suggestions that the clash was linked to tribal rivalry.

He said, “The fight started and ended with the Oso Ahia boys over the sharing of the commission.

“Some traders have now decided that the Oso Ahia boys should no longer be welcomed in this market. As you can see, there is no problem today.

“Everything has gone back to normal. There’s no tribal issue here. It was money that led to the dispute.”

Another trader, Abiola Shittu, further clarified that the temporary closure of shops on Thursday morning was due to the routine sanitation exercise, not the violence.

Shittu said, “It was the money that a customer gave them that led to the fight. What these guys do is take customers round the market, and in return, the customer tips them.

“The commission caused the argument, and they started stabbing themselves. Sadly, it was the Yoruba boy who died from the wound.”

Another trader, who identified himself only as Chigozie, also confirmed that the fight between Ibrahim and Adindu stemmed from a money dispute, not an ethnic clash as was being circulated on social media.

According to him, the altercation escalated quickly. “The deceased stabbed the guy first with a bottle and ran away thinking he couldn’t catch him.

“Then the guy immediately pursued him with a knife and did the same to him, which led to him bleeding and later dying,” Chigozie recounted.

Traders at the market said that Wednesday’s tragedy was the first violent incident in recent years in the market.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Two church leaders in the United States have been arrested in an alleged multi-million-dollar conspiracy after multiple Federal Bureau of Investigation raids across the country on Wednesday, including one in Hillsborough County’s exclusive Avila neighborhood.

In a statement issued via its website on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said Michelle Brannon, 56, was arrested at a mansion near Tampa, while David Taylor, 53, was arrested in North Carolina over allegations of multi-million dollar money laundering, forced labour and human trafficking.

According to the DOJ, Taylor and Brannon are the leaders of Kingdom of God Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International.

The Justice Department said Taylor referred to himself as “Apostle” and to Brannon as his Executive Director.

FBI officials said law enforcement arrested Brannon early Wednesday at 706 Guisando De Avila in Hillsborough County, which is owned by the church, according to property records.

Investigators arrested Taylor on Wednesday morning in North Carolina, while SWAT and FBI agents also raided a hotel owned by the church in Houston.

A 10-count indictment alleged that Taylor and Brannon ran call centres in Florida, Texas, Missouri, and Michigan to solicit donations to the church.

The pair convinced their victims to work at the call centres and work for Taylor as personal servants – referred to as “armour bearers” – for long hours without pay, according to the indictment.

Federal investigators said Taylor and Brannon “controlled every aspect of the daily living of their victims,” who slept at the call centre or in a “ministry” house and were not allowed to leave without permission.

The indictment also says the suspects forced the victims to transport women to Taylor and ensure that those women took Plan B emergency contraceptives.

The church received about $50 million in donations through its call centres dating back to 2014, according to the DOJ.

Taylor and Brannon are accused of using much of that money to buy luxury properties, luxury vehicles, and sporting equipment such as boats, jet skis, and ATVs.

Taylor and Brannon face charges of forced labour, conspiracy to commit forced labour, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Each alleged crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned a 10-count indictment against two defendants for their alleged roles in a forced labour and money laundering conspiracy that victimised individuals in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Missouri.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the two defendants were arrested in North Carolina and Florida in a nationwide takedown of their forced labour organistion.

“Combating human trafficking is a top priority for the Department of Justice.

“We are committed to relentlessly pursuing and ending this scourge and obtaining justice for the victims,” he said.

Also speaking, U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan, said, “We will use every lawful tool against human traffickers and seek justice for their victims.

“A case like this is only possible through a concerted effort with our federal partners across the country and the non-governmental agencies who provide victim support. We thank them all.”

“The indictment of David Taylor and Michelle Brannon demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast efforts to protect the American people from human exploitation and financial crimes, including forced labour and money laundering.

“The alleged actions are deeply troubling. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Field Office, with strong support from our federal and agency partners in the FBI Tampa Field Office, FBI Jacksonville Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, FBI Charlotte Field Office, FBI Houston Field Office, and the Detroit IRS-CI Field Office, in addition to several local, county and state law enforcement partners, for their role in executing this multi-state operation.

“The FBI in Michigan will continue to investigate those who violate federal law and remain focused on ensuring the protection and safety of our nation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

“Money laundering is tax evasion in progress, and in this case, the proceeds funded an alleged human trafficking ring and supported a luxury lifestyle under the guise of a religious ministry.

“IRS-CI stands committed to fighting human trafficking and labor exploitation, and pursuing those who hide their profits gained from the extreme victimization of the vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office.

According to the DOJ, conspiracy to commit forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000, while forced labour carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.

It noted that conspiracy to commit money laundering carries up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the properties involved in the money laundering transactions.

It was gathered that Brannon appeared in federal court in Tampa on Wednesday afternoon, but an attorney for Brannon wasn’t present.

A judge asked where her attorney was and whether she had representation.

Brannon told the judge that she had two private attorneys, out of St. Louis and Oklahoma, who were already working with them. However, she said she hadn’t heard from either of them.

The judge said the attorneys were not able to be reached through the phone numbers provided to federal prosecutors. It’s not clear if Brannon has legal representation at this point.

The judge continued Brannon’s hearing to Thursday afternoon. He instructed Brannon to find an attorney in the Tampa area in the meantime.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM