Crime

Court orders FG to name culprits in N6tn NDDC scandal

Published

11 months ago

November 24, 2025

The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed President Bola Tinubu to compel the Attorney General of the Federation to publish the names of individuals indicted in the alleged misappropriation of over N6tn meant for the Niger Delta Development Commission between 2000 and 2019.

The landmark ruling, delivered on Monday, November 10, by Justice Gladys Olotu, also mandates President Bola Tinubu to make the NDDC forensic audit report, submitted to the Federal Government on September 2, 2021, publicly available.

The judgment was obtained in certified form last Friday following a Freedom of Information suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project in November 2021.

Justice Olotu ruled that the forensic audit report and the names of those indicted constitute “public records” under Section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act.

She noted that the information is not exempt from disclosure under Sections 11-19 of the Act, as it pertains to the management of public funds.

“The refusal of the President and the Attorney General to publish the audit report or act on the allegations, despite formal demand by SERAP, constitutes a breach of their statutory duties under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, and Nigeria’s international obligations to promote transparency and accountability,” Justice Olotu said.

The court emphasised that every citizen has the right to access information in the custody of public officials, and that the Freedom of Information Act imposes a non-discretionary duty on public institutions to release such information.

SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, described the judgment as a “ground-breaking victory for transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds,” urging the Tinubu administration to comply immediately.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, praised the judgment, calling it “one of the most patriotic public interest litigations ever undertaken in Nigeria,” and stressed that delayed enforcement could undermine both the fight against corruption and the rule of law.

In a letter dated November 22, 2025, SERAP formally urged President Tinubu to implement the court orders without delay, stressing that compliance would demonstrate the administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.

punch.ng

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Crime

PHOTOS: 130 supects arrested as FBI raids Ghana fraud center

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

One hundred and thirty persons have been arrested after men of the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI raided a suspected fraud compound in Ghana and arrested more than 130 people.

The FBI Director, Kash Patel, disclosed this in a post shared on his official X account on Thursday.

Patel said the operation, codenamed “Operation Blackout”, was carried out in the week as part of the FBI’s efforts to dismantle global scam centres.

“OPERATION BLACKOUT: This is the FBI’s global scam-centre fraud demolition. Another takedown this week out of Ghana,” Patel wrote.

He said the operation had so far resulted in nearly $10m in identified losses, 89 victims identified, more than 130 individuals arrested or detained, including victims who would be repatriated to their home countries, and more than 300 devices seized.

“Investigation is ongoing. These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives – and this @FBI is crushing them in every corner of the world. More to come,” he said.

Patel also gave an update on the overall Operation Blackout figures, saying roughly $17bn had been seized, hundreds of alleged scammers arrested and thousands of trafficked workers freed.

He added that more than 10,000 Americans had been warned before losing their money, while an estimated $670m in losses had been prevented.

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Crime

Police arrest prophet’s son in Ogun over N18m online fraud

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a suspect, Adewale Arojah, identified as a prophet’s son, for allegedly impersonating a renowned cleric on Facebook and defrauding multiple victims of over N18m under the guise of offering prayers and spiritual assistance.

According to a statement by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, on Thursday, the arrest followed a complaint lodged on October 3, 2026, by Muyiwa Akogun, popularly known on Facebook as “Prophet Dr. Muyiwa Akogun”.

The command said Akogun alerted the police after members of the public complained about “fraudulent activities being perpetrated in his name through a duplicated Facebook profile.”

“Upon receipt of the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer, Ilaro Division, immediately detailed intelligence and detective operatives to track down the perpetrator,” the statement said.

It added that “through sustained technological monitoring and intelligence-led analysis, the suspect was tracked to a nearby village in Ajegunle, via the Ilaro/Ibogun axis, where he was successfully apprehended.”

The police said the suspect confessed during interrogation to impersonating the cleric on Facebook.

“During a rigorous interrogation, the suspect confessed to impersonating the real Prophet Akogun on Facebook.

“He admitted to using the cleric’s identity to deliver fake prophecies and offer prayer services to vulnerable individuals, thereby defrauding victims residing both within Nigeria and in the diaspora,” Babaseyi said.

The command said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect allegedly targeted people seeking spiritual assistance through the prophet’s Facebook page.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect systematically targeted victims seeking spiritual assistance on the said prophet’s Facebook page, gains their trust and swindled them of funds amounting to over ₦18 million,” it said.

The suspect has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

The command said the investigation would be used to ascertain the extent of the crime, identify potential accomplices, and ensure possible prosecution.

The command said the arrest was part of its efforts to tackle online fraud and identity theft in the state.

“The swift arrest highlights the Ogun State Police Command’s resolve to dismantle online fraud networks, curb identity theft, and deny cybercriminals safe space to operate across the state,” Babaseyi said.

The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ilaro operatives for what the statement described as their “vigilance, tactical discipline, and swift response”.

The CP also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents from digital and physical threats.

The command advised members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with religious leaders and public figures on social media.

“The Command advises members of the public to exercise caution and due diligence when engaging with religious leaders or public figures on social media platforms,” the statement said.

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Crime

Adeleke summons security chiefs over Osun cult killings

Published

3 days ago

October 7, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has summoned heads of security agencies in the state to a meeting following a spike in security breaches, particularly recent killings involving rival cult groups in the state.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, saying the meeting would be held on Wednesday.

Ojo said the meeting would deliberate on and address the killings by suspected cultists in the state.

He added that the meeting would also discuss measures to make forests in the state safer, in view of the recent killing of an ISWAP leader in Owo, Ondo State.

“We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes.

“What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals hibernating in the forests.

We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he said.

He further said, “Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks.

“We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy.”

The governor’s aide, who stressed the need to stop the killings to protect Osun’s corporate image, warned perpetrators of violent crimes to desist or face dire consequences.

“We need to stop it, so as not to give our state a bad name, because nobody knows what they are fighting for or why they are killing themselves,” Ojo said.

The PUNCH reports that two separate attacks by members of rival cult groups, which occurred in Osogbo, the state capital, between last Friday and Sunday, left two people dead and about five others injured.

In reaction to the latest cult attack, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, subsequently ordered tactical teams to raid suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo.

Source: punchng.com

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