…IGP urges Nigerians to access, use cybercrime reporting platforms
Juliana Francis
The newly reorganised cybercrime units of the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, has busted a fraud syndicate, alleged to be responsible for over N16m theft.
The Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, while confirming the feat, said that the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre is an innovation of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba.
According to him, the Centre was reorganised to effectively tackle cybercrime offences. He also said that the units have recorded salient achievements in less than one month from the commencement of operations under Kokumo.
His words: “Amongst the numerous concluded cases by the Centre, is a case of unlawful access to a computer network and manipulation of a Point of Sale (POS) network to defraud the unsuspecting owner of the total sum of N16,149,195.00, by an all-male trio of Sanmi Ayodeji, 29, Felix Oluwaseun, 24, and Adeleye Oluwaseun, 32. The suspects signed up on a POS platform known as Tmoni Technologies Company using their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and those of their friends and relatives without their consent. They proceeded to open valid wallet accounts with Tmoni, manipulated the company network security system, and fraudulently transferred funds to the tune of N16.1m from the Tmoni platform to various online accounts from where they made subsequent withdrawals. The suspects were eventually arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, by operatives of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre
after an official complaint was lodged by the financial controller of the Tmoni platform.”
The Force spokesman said that upon their arrest, the suspects were found in possession of several mobile phones, POS machines, SIM cards, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards, and one Toyota Matrix car with registration no. KUJ 548 CN which they confessed was bought with proceeds of the crime.
The Inspector-General of Police while calling on users of online banking platforms to be vigilant with regard to their personal information, urges all citizens and residents in the country, as stakeholders in ensuring maximum security, to report all suspicious cyber activities via 09168343711, interpolnigeria@npf.gov.ng or on the NPF Cybercrime Reporting Portal – https://incb.npf.gov.ng/.
The IGP commended the Director, NPF National Cybercrime Centre, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Uche Ifeanyi Henry, for his diligence and dedication which has led to the breakthroughs recorded so far.
The suspects will be charged to court as soon as possible, said Adejobi.
