Crime & Court
Safe City Project : Oyo Govt. Introduces Security Levy
IN line with the government’s commitment to boost security and enhance safety of lives and property, the Abiola Ajimobi led Oyo state government through its trust fund dubbed ‘Oyo State Security Trust Fund’,OYSSTF says it was set to implement a compulsory security levy in the state.
Formally announcing the introduction of
the levy on Monday, the government said it would be tailor-made to suit the economic profile of the state as well allow corporate bodies, individuals and all residents to contribute to the security of the state.
The state governor, Abiola Ajimobi made the disclosure, while addressing stakeholders at a town hall meeting entitled: ‘Public-Private Partnership in Security Funding: Introduction of Security Levy in Oyo State,’ organised by OYSSTF at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan.
According to him, an enabling law of the Oyo State Security Trust Fund (OYSSTF) as amended by the state House of Assembly was to pave way for the operation of a private sector driven OYSSTF to incorporate the introduction of the security levy into law to the effect that corporate organisations, religious and other social bodies are made to pay yearly security levies to the Trust Fund.
Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, informed that the security levy was introduced “to ensure that all stakeholders fulfill their roles as responsible citizens of the state and by contributing their quota to the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in Oyo State.
“It is not in doubt that our security agencies have faced a serious shortfall in funding. Funding Oyo State Security Trust Fund is the key to achieving all these goals. On our part, this hover has granted a one per cent security tax on all contracts executed on behalf of the state government, and I am also aware that these deductions have assisted the Fund in the past year.
“For the furtherance of our agenda on safety and security, we have embraced the safe city project, which will proffer cutting edge solutions that will nip crime and criminality in the bud, especially in our major townships. We are currently installing closed circuit television (CCTV) in black spots and business districts in the city to enhance our security architecture. I ask all the stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the security levy collection exercise that is to commence shortly.”
Describing the idea of state police as a step in the right direction, the governor averred that the present federal structure of security agencies is not sustainable.
He further noted that the existing structure in the state should be strengthened and not abandoned, adding that in more than six years, the scorecard of his administration, which are peace and security, suggested that “we did not only dream about the desire to make the people of Oyo State sleep with their two eyes firmly shut, we have achieved it. We have reined in the rapacious drivers’ unions and clamped down on all brigands in the state.”
“We inaugurated the joint security outfit codenamed ‘Operation Burst’ with six zonal commands. To give the outfit the needed bite, we procured armoured personnel carriers, a fleet of patrol vehicles and equipped them with state-of-the-earth communication equipment for their operations.
“To enlist the support of stakeholders, we went a step further by floating the Oyo State Security Trust Fund to raise funds for the improvement of the security architecture of the state. The result of these efforts is a drastic reduction in crime rate and civil unrest manifesting in no major crime or robbery in the last six years”, he said.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of OYSSTF, Chief Bayo Adelabu, said the organisation intends to transform the security apparatus in the state from being a reactionary one to an anticipatory one. He added, “ this vision can be achieved only if there is an upward review in funding of areas such as rehabilitation of existing barracks and quarters, procurement of arms and ammunition, purchase of vehicles, helicopters, surveillance cameras and maintenance of existing stocks as well as procurement of kits and basic equipment for officers.”
Adelabu, disclosed that OYSSTF has donated 66 Hilux vans to security agencies, stressing that other areas of concern include the establishment of forensic laboratories and upgrade of all police stations across the state to be information technology compliant, as provided for in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
“A proper fund base is needed for this transformation and the security level will be tailor-made to suit the economic profile of Oyo State. With proper fund base, Oyo State Security Trust Fund will channel these funds to the weak spots within the state security apparatus”.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Abiodun Odude, lauded the Governor Ajimobi-led administration for introducing OYSSTF and ‘Operation Burst’ , saying with this, the government has placed security issues on the front burner. He maintained that security agencies have been trying their best with government’s support to nip crime and criminality in the bud, noting that security is a collective responsibility of all and sundry.
According to him, in the last one year, the police “have arrested more than 1,000 members of ‘One Million Boys’ and we have charged over 400 of them to court, ” saying the police need intelligence to work with.
Also, the President-General, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Yemi Soladoye, who spoke at the event urged the OYSSTF to identify the peculiarities of each zone of the state such as Ibadan, Oke-Ogun, Oyo, Ogbomoso, and Ibarapa with a view to tackling insecurity headlong.
He advised that eminent people from each of the zones should be captured into sub-committees for their cities in order to ensure the effectiveness of the project.
The town hall meeting was well attended by top government functionaries, members of the state executive council, service commanders in the states, royal fathers, religious leaders, traditional leaders, community leaders, sociocultural groups, traders, local security groups, artisan, representatives of market women among others.
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.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of cocaine ingeniously concealed within prayer beads and locally made shoes, foiling an attempt to traffic the illicit substance.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, revealing that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt.
Babafemi, who shared images of the seized contraband on X (formerly Twitter), condemned the act, especially in the holy month when religious devotion takes precedence.
“In this holy month, when people are consecrating themselves and making supplications to their God, some persons were preoccupied with concealing cocaine in prayer beads and locally made shoes to desecrate the precincts of the holy land in the holy month,” he stated.
He further noted that vigilant NDLEA operatives intercepted the illicit shipment, preventing the traffickers from executing their plan.
The anti-narcotics agency has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking, especially methods that exploit religious items and sacred periods to evade detection.
As investigations continue, the NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to curbing drug-related crimes and ensuring that traffickers face the full weight of the law.
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