Crime & Court
Oyo govt. urges citizens to beware of phony travel agencies, job scams
Oyo State Government has appealed to residents/citizens of the state to be wary of phony travel agencies, job scams and illegal tax collections, advising that any organisation or individual found culpable should be reported to security agencies.
The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun gave the advice in a statement in Ibadan on Tuesday.
Arulogun said that the state government has been inundated with calls on its Ajumose Feedback Centre by victims of numerous scams in the state, stressing that the victims had been urged to report their cases to the security agencies while the government also investigate on its part.
According to him, “recently, numerous callers from across the state have been seeking for government help to retrieve money paid to some phony travel agencies for pilgrimage and employment abroad. The callers disclosed that these agencies asked them to pay large sums to facilitate their sojourn abroad for paid employment with no positive outcome over time.
“Some of these callers also asked the state government to investigate some recruitment firms who have swindled thousands of unsuspecting job seekers. They claimed that the scammers collected money from them and made them write exams and attend interviews.
The Commissioner also revealed that the state government is addressing and investigating complaints raised by callers concerning the extortion by Principals and officials of some public secondary schools in state in the name of collecting tax from students, assuring that any individual found guilty would be dealt with according to civil service rules.
He reiterated that the government did not tax students but rather the students were asked to produce the tax clearance of their parents.
Arulogun said that initial investigations revealed that some school officials were allegedly accused wrongly while there are further investigations on the ones which needed follow up findings.
He urged the citizens to do background checks on travel agencies, recruitment firms and other service rendering firms before engaging them, noting that some of these firms engage in legitimate business and deliver on their promise.
He stated that the bad eggs among them are the ones denting the reputation of the credible ones, calling on media agencies to sieve the good ones from the bad ones whenever they need to promote such businesses.
“Our media organisations in the state have a major role to play in saving people from the hands of these scammers. They advertise their phony businesses in the media to the unsuspecting public. The media needs to verify the legitimacy of such business and make them sign indemnities” Arulogun added.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Yahaya Bello wanted for an alleged financial crime to the tune of N80.2 billion,” Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency announced.
“Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is wanted by the EFCC for offences relating to economic and financial crimes to the tune of N80.2 Billion,” the EFCC stated in a Thursday evening Facebook post titled ‘Ex-Gov Yahaya Bello Wanted By the EFCC.’
“Anybody with information as to his whereabouts should report immediately to the Commission or the nearest police Station,” the statement continued.
This declaration follows the absence of the chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Federal High Court in Abuja earlier in the day for a suit instituted against him by the EFCC.
Consequently, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the suit and called for substituted service and the possible arraignment of Bello for alleged money laundering.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a Delhi-bound passenger, Freeman Charles Ogbonna, at the screening point of terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
Ogbonna was detained for ingesting 80 wraps of cocaine.
The arrest took place on Sunday, March 31, 2024, as Ogbonna attempted to board a flight to Delhi, India via Doha on Qatar Airways.
He was in possession of a Liberian international passport under the name Carr Bismark.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the suspect underwent a body scan which detected the presence of illicit drugs. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Ogbonna’s real identity was Freeman Charles Ogbonna.
He was then placed under NDLEA observation, where he began to exhibit signs of discomfort.
“Obviously choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, the suspect soon began to retch before starting to vomit and excrete wraps of cocaine he ingested almost simultaneously,” Babafemi stated.
“Over four days, Ogbonna expelled a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grams through his mouth and anus. Despite the grave risk to his life, Ogbonna claimed he was coerced into drug trafficking by a relative. He confessed that he was given the drugs to swallow at a hotel in the Ipodo area of Ikeja, with a promise of a cash reward of N300,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment in India”.
The NDLEA has since detained Ogbonna as investigations continue into the drug trafficking operation.
The Federal High Court in Lagos has set April 9, 2024, as the date to sentence the controversial cross-dresser and social media sensation, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.
This decision came after Bobrisky pleaded guilty to a four-count charge of Naira abuse brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Abimbola Awogboro, who presided over the case, reserved the date for the sentencing.
The courtroom proceedings commenced promptly at 11:55 am, with Mr. Sulaiman Sulaiman representing the EFCC, and Mr. Ayo Olumofin appearing for the defendant.
During the session, Justice Awogboro directed Bobrisky to uncover his face, previously obscured by a black hijab, which he complied with.
The EFCC initially filed a six-count charge against Bobrisky, but the prosecutor, Sulaiman, requested the court to strike out counts five and six due to an agreement reached with the defendant.
Justice Awogboro granted the request, leaving counts one to four for consideration.
Bobrisky pleaded guilty to each of the four counts, confirming his understanding of the charges brought against him.
The EFCC prosecutor proceeded to present the case’s facts, calling an EFCC Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Bolaji Temitope, as a witness. Temitope outlined how the EFCC became aware of Bobrisky’s actions through intelligence gathering and surveillance of social media activities.
The witness testified to several instances where Bobrisky was observed spraying Naira notes during events, supported by video evidence which was admitted by the court as exhibits.
In a bench ruling, Justice Awogboro convicted Bobrisky as charged, despite his plea for mercy and assertion of ignorance of the law.
Bobrisky, expressing remorse, requested a second chance to educate his followers on the consequences of Naira abuse, citing his substantial social media influence.
His legal counsel urged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence and an option of a fine, highlighting Bobrisky’s commitment to reform.
Sentencing has been adjourned till April 9, with Bobrisky facing the possibility of six months imprisonment, a fine of N50,000, or both, in accordance with Section 21(1) of the CBN Act 2007.
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