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Police arrest suspected scammers in Akwa Ibom, recover stolen funds

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Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have apprehended three suspected scammers believed to be part of a syndicate that specialises in defrauding unsuspecting members of the public across the state.

A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in Uyo on Monday said the arrest followed several complaints received by the Command.

She said the operatives launched a technical intelligence-led operation in July 2025, adding that the effort culminated in the arrest of the three prime suspects on September 5, 2025, at approximately 1330 hours, from their hideout in the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.

”The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has successfully apprehended three individuals suspected of being part of a syndicate responsible for defrauding numerous victims across Nigeria. The arrests followed several complaints received by the Command.

”Acting on the instructions of the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, the operatives initiated a technical intelligence-led operation in July 2025.

“This effort culminated in the arrest of the three prime suspects on September 5, 2025, at approximately 1330 hours, from their hideout in the Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.” the statement read.

John listed the suspects to include Prince Francis Albert, 27 years, of Edemeya village, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area,
Augustine Bassey, 39 years, of Okobo LGA and Mbetobong Godwin, 35, from Ibesikpo LGA.

According to the PPRO, Albert, the alleged gang leader, has confessed to the crime of luring victims from various states using multiple phone numbers.

“The arrested suspects have been identified as: Prince Francis Albert, 27 years, of Edemeya village, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area. Albert, the alleged gang leader, confessed to luring victims from various states using multiple phone numbers.

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”He admitted to beginning his criminal activities in 2022 after graduating from Sokoto State Polytechnic. He also confessed to successfully scamming several high-profile individuals, including politicians, military officers, and senior police officers, by using fake identities.

”He relocated from Oyo State to Akwa Ibom in April 2025 to evade police and DSS pursuit sourced his victims’ phone numbers from marriage invitations, obituary posters, complimentary cards, and online sources,” the statement added.

John disclosed that the second suspect, Augustine Bassey, a POS operator, was involved in receiving scammed funds through his OPay account, number 8081732375, adding that he had confessed to receiving large sums of money from victims between April and August 2025.

The third suspect, Mbetobong Godwin, according to the statement, shared a residential building with the gang leader and had also confessed to receiving funds through his OPay account, number 8160526905.

She said the three suspects are fully cooperating with the police to recover their SIM cards and assist in the arrest of other syndicate members who are currently at large.

John urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities.

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PHOTOS & VIDEO: Mob sets BRT Bus ablaze after motorcyclist’s death in Lagos

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An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus ablaze after it reportedly crushed a motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.

The incident reportedly triggered an outburst of anger, with some members of the mob attacking the bus driver before police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) intervened and rescued him unharmed.

NewsClick Nigeria Media reported the incident on X, stating that the motorcyclist was riding alone at the time of the accident.

A video circulating on social media showed the BRT bus engulfed in flames as the fire consumed the vehicle.

The footage captured the intensity of the fire, which left the bus burning by the roadside. However, the circumstances surrounding the crash and the subsequent attack on the vehicle remain unclear.

The incident also raised concerns about the safety of public transport operators and the risk of violence following fatal road accidents, particularly when members of the public resort to taking the law into their own hands.

However, the identity of the deceased motorcyclist, the circumstances that led to the collision and the extent of the damage caused by the fire had not been independently established as of the time of filing this report.

It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the incident.

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Troops rout Lakurawa fighters, destroy camps in Sokoto

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Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have neutralised several Lakurawa terrorists and destroyed their camps during a clearance operation in Waria Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The operation, conducted on Thursday, October 15, also led to the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles from the terrorists’ enclave.

The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.

Danja said troops of Sector 2 advanced through identified terrorist hideouts around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages towards Waria Forest, where they made contact with the armed group.

According to him, the troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight and overpowered them with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee deeper into the forest.

“Troops subsequently pursued the fleeing terrorists, neutralising some of them in the process,” he said.

Danja added that further exploitation of the area destroyed the terrorists’ camps and their life-support structures, alongside the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles.

He said troops had sustained their operational presence in the area through continued clearance and domination operations aimed at denying the terrorists freedom of movement and preventing them from using the forest as a haven.

“The latest success underscores the commitment of Operation Fansan Yamma to dismantling terrorist enclaves, denying terrorist elements safe havens and restoring lasting peace and security across the Joint Operations Area,” Danja said.

He commended the troops for their courage, resilience and sustained efforts, while urging residents to provide timely and credible information about suspicious movements and activities in their communities.

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The military did not disclose the exact number of terrorists killed or specify the types and quantities of weapons recovered during the operation.

Source: punchng.com

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Fintiri warns Boko Haram, ISWAP remain major threats

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Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has warned that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province remain major security threats in the sub-region, urging security chiefs to intensify efforts to combat insurgency.

Declaring open a two-day meeting of federal and state security administrators in Yola on Thursday, Fintiri said the threats posed by the groups remained persistent, dynamic and ideological.

“While our gallant armed forces have significantly degraded their conventional capabilities, these insurgents continue to exploit vast rural terrains, asymmetric tactics and cross-border vulnerabilities to strike at soft targets.

“However, let me speak with political candour: we cannot afford the luxury of premature victory speeches. Furthermore, we must confront emerging threats that endanger our socio-economic fabric,” he said.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, said security was not merely about weapons but also grassroots presence, social justice and inclusive governance.

“It was this conviction that drove our historic decision to create seven new emirates and chiefdoms across Adamawa State,” he said.

Fintiri added that the battleground had shifted to digital spaces, where vulnerable youths were targeted for recruitment and misinformation.

He said the security of Adamawa State was inseparable from that of Nigeria and urged the Federal Government to urgently modernise the country’s international borders.

“We need the deployment of advanced surveillance technology, drone coverage, joint border patrols and the expedited establishment of one-stop border posts to control illegal cross-border migration, arms proliferation and smuggling,” he said.

The governor also urged the Federal Government to increase funding for security agencies to enable them to intensify the fight against insecurity.

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“Our frontline officers, the police, the military, the Civil Defence, the DSS and Customs, are doing heroic work under difficult conditions.

“However, their operational funding, tactical equipment and welfare packages must be significantly upgraded by the Federal Government,” he said.

To defeat the insurgency, Fintiri called for genuine inter-agency cooperation and an end to rivalry among security services.

He said the operational disconnect between intelligence-gathering units and field tactical teams must be addressed.

“Victory belongs to unity, not institutional ego,” he said.

Fintiri added that hosting the meeting of the nation’s top security policy strategists reflected Adamawa’s progress in restoring peace and stability.

“For us in Adamawa State, hosting this august gathering of the nation’s top security policy strategists is not just an administrative assignment; it is a testament to our transformation.

“A few years ago, convening a gathering of this magnitude in the North-East was met with hesitation. Today, through visionary leadership, community resilience and divine grace, Adamawa stands tall as a beacon of relative peace, stability and democratic consolidation,” he said.

He challenged the security administrators to move beyond what he described as diagnostic speeches and develop an actionable, pragmatic roadmap to address security challenges in the sub-region.

He also advocated the adoption of unified digital freight and transit-tracking platforms across states and national transport corridors to eliminate illegal checkpoints, trace suspicious cargo and secure trade routes.

The governor donated 300 motorcycles and 16 security vehicles to support policing across the state’s 15 chiefdoms and 21 local government areas.

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The meeting was attended by security administrators from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

However, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was absent from the meeting.

Source: punchng.com

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