Crime & Court
Imo police kills most wanted armed robber
The Imo State Police has shot and killed the state’s ‘most-wanted’ armed robber identified as Ihechi Nwankwo.
The spokesman for the state Police Command, Andrew Enwerem, who spoke to reporters, said the armed robber had been on the wanted list of the command for a long time.
Ihechi, a 27-year-old who hailed from Amaumara in the Ezinihitte Mbaise area of the state, has been terrorising people of the state for so long.
Enwerem said Nwankwo had robbed a bank customer of N8m at Access Bank at Ahiara Junction on August 8.
He had also robbed one Jovita Enwerem of N650,000 at gunpoint at Ahiara Junction on June 21.
Enwerem said, “On September 28, the state police command control room was alerted to a robbery attack along Wetheral Road, Owerri.
“A customer of the Wetheral Road branch of Zenith Bank had gone to the bank to withdraw N50 m. On their way, along Wetheral Road, they were confronted by a daredevil armed robbery gang operating with a grey colour Toyota Corolla with number plate ABJ 951AA that blocked the convoy and immediately opened fire on the police escorts.”
The police spokesman stated that the robbers engaged the cops in a gun duel but they were overpowered by the police.
He said three policemen, however, sustained gunshot injuries and were already being treated in the hospital.
Enwerem said, “The criminals escaped from the robbery scene but their vehicle was riddled with bullets. We, however, contacted police in the neighbouring states to be on the lookout.
“Subsequently, the criminals were intercepted in Umuahia, Abia State, where they engaged the operatives in a gun duel.
“One of the gang members was gunned down while the others escaped with bullet injuries and the ash coloured Toyota Corolla car was also recovered.”
The police spokesperson further revealed that investigation by the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad operatives showed that the elder brother of the slain robber, one Chibuike Nwankwo, 42, and Chukwudi Obinwanne, a native of Ugiri in Isiala Mbano LGA of the state, were being held at SARS cell for bank robbery cases.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested two principal suspects allegedly involved in the killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State last week.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Friday Ituah, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the suspects were apprehended in Uromi town following credible intelligence.
According to Ituah, operatives from various security agencies are actively hunting for other key suspects linked to the tragic incident. He further revealed that the two arrested suspects have been transferred to Abuja for further interrogation and prosecution by the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, paid a condolence visit to Kano State, where he revealed that 14 suspects had already been arrested in connection with the killings and were also to be moved to Abuja for further questioning.
During his visit, Governor Okpebholo expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured the victims’ families that justice would be served. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that those responsible for the heinous act would be brought to book.
Also, the governor pledged that adequate compensation would be provided to the bereaved families as part of efforts to mitigate their suffering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has rearrested Friday Audu, the alleged mastermind of a massive cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scam, just moments after he was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
In a dramatic turn of events, EFCC operatives intercepted Audu as he stepped out of the court premises on Thursday. The anti-graft officers swiftly bundled him into a waiting white van and whisked him away, while his co-defendants were led off by correctional officers.
Audu, alongside two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, as well as their company, Genting International Ltd, is facing a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime. The trio was arraigned before Justice Daniel Osiagor on Monday, March 17, and returned to court on March 20 for their bail hearing.
Despite being granted bail, Audu’s troubles deepened as EFCC officials moved in swiftly. The court had granted him bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties—one being a serving director in Nigeria, and the other a Lagos-based property owner willing to surrender title documents to the court. Until these conditions are met, Audu was to remain in correctional custody.
However, his alleged accomplice, Huang Haoyu, was not as fortunate. The court denied his bail application, ruling that his residence status in Nigeria was unclear and that he posed a flight risk. The third defendant, An Hongxu, did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody.
Justice Osiagor adjourned the trial to May 2, 2025.
How It All Started
The EFCC’s case against Audu and his co-defendants stems from a December 2024 sting operation that led to the arrest of 193 foreigners and several Nigerians linked to a sophisticated cyber-fraud network.
According to the prosecution, Audu allegedly spearheaded the recruitment of young Nigerians into the syndicate, which engaged in cyber fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and illicit financial dealings. The EFCC further alleged that the group conspired with one Dualiang Pan (still at large) to access computer systems designed to destabilize Nigeria’s economic and social structure.
The defendants were accused of using young Nigerians to impersonate foreign nationals in online scams, defrauding unsuspecting victims of millions of dollars. Investigators also linked them to a staggering ₦3.4 billion fraud, with proceeds traced to the Union Bank account of Genting International Ltd.
Other fraudulent transactions flagged in the case include:
- The illegal retention of $1.2 million in a crypto wallet by one Chukwuemeka Okeke.
- A similar retention of $1.3 million by Alhassan Garba and Ifesinachi Jacobs.
- Suspicious transfers of ₦106 million and ₦913 million to an account controlled by Dualiang Pan.
- Unofficial foreign exchange dealings worth over ₦2 billion, allegedly conducted outside the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approved system.
The EFCC maintained that these activities violated multiple provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act 2015, the Money Laundering Act 2021, and the Foreign Exchange Monitoring Act 2004.
Battle for Bail
During Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC prosecutor Bilikisu Buhari-Bala opposed bail for the defendants, arguing that they were flight risks and key players in an extensive cybercrime syndicate. She pressed for an accelerated trial instead.
Defense counsels, however, pleaded for leniency. Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Emeka Okpoko, representing the first defendant, urged the court to grant his client bail on “liberal terms.” Similarly, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), who represented Audu, pushed for his client’s release under favorable conditions.
Despite the court’s decision to grant Audu bail, his freedom was short-lived as EFCC officials quickly stepped in to rearrest him, a move that hints at fresh charges or an ongoing investigation.
With the case now set for trial on May 2, all eyes remain on the EFCC and the fate of the alleged crypto fraud syndicate.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested the Accountant General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Jaja, over an alleged ₦70 billion fraud.
Jaja was apprehended in Abuja on Wednesday, 19 March 2025, alongside Aliyu Abubakar, an operator of Jasfad Resources Enterprise—an unlicensed bureau de change (BDC)—and Sunusi Ibrahim Sambo, a Point of Sale (PoS) operator.
Their arrests form part of an ongoing EFCC investigation into allegations of money laundering, diversion of public funds, and misappropriation involving the staggering sum.
The Commission is also probing the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, in connection with the matter.
According to the EFCC, preliminary findings indicate that a total of ₦59 billion was withdrawn in cash through various bank accounts managed by the Accountant General on behalf of the state government. The funds were allegedly transferred to Abubakar and Sambo, who then made cash payments to political party agents and associates of the governor.
Notably, Abubakar, the BDC operator, had previously absconded while on bail but has now been rearrested.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the arrests, stating that investigations are ongoing to unravel the full extent of the financial misconduct.
