Connect with us

Crime & Court

Several credit card numbers were extracted from Naira Marley’s phone – EFCC witness tells court

Published

on

Naira Marley was present in court for his trial on October 26, 2021.

Augustine Anosike, a forensic expert with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday gave his testimony in the case involving Afeez Fashola, popularly known as ‘Naira Marley’  before Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Anosike, told the judge how several credit card numbers were extracted while analysing the content of a total of 2,410 messages found on the defendant’s mobile phone.

Naira Marley was arraigned by the EFCC on May 20, 2019, on 11 counts bordering on conspiracy, possession of counterfeit credit cards, and fraud to which he pleaded not guilty.

At the resumed sitting, Anosike, who continued his examination in chief, told the court that Exhibit F was a conclusion of his analysis of the defendant’s iPhone X version 10.6, model A 1901.

He also gave the IMEL number of the iPhone and the SIM ICCID number in open court.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, Anosike described the Apple iPhone as a sophisticated device capable of storing a large volume of information.

“It is the SIM card that basically identifies users of applications like WhatsApp,” he told the court. “ It, therefore, means that as long as a number has already been registered with a particular WhatsApp account, it matters less if such a user leaves the country.

“There are cases where a WhatsApp application can still be used even though the registered SIM card is not inserted in the phone. The chatting app used in the analysed device was WhatsApp.”

When asked to brief the court on his findings while analysing the phone, Anosike said a total of 977 Short Message Service (SMS) and 1,433 chat messages were discovered.

“We also discovered seven pending status update messages. On November 26, 2018, there was an outgoing message registered about 3:32pm, with a credit card number. This message was sent to one Yadd.

“On December 11, 2018, there was an incoming message to the defendant’s device which read ‘Your One Time Passcode (OTP) to verify your mobile number is 248716,” he added.

According to the witness, another message was sent at 5:06pm by one Hiya Bayi to a recipient with the name Raze on the same day. The content of the message, he told the court, was another credit card number.

Anosike, while giving further evidence, told the court that there was an incoming message at 10:16pm on December 12, 2018, which read “tried and it was unsuccessful; sure you are not rinsing it out then giving it to me to try.’

During the proceedings, he also revealed several credit card numbers sent on different dates and times, as well as OTP codes sent found on the defendant’s phone.

The prosecution counsel, thereafter, told the court that all the analysed texts were fully contained in a Compact Disc (CD).

He, however, told the court that the prosecution had only printed out those portions it considered material to its case.

Consequently, he asked both the court and the defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, if the prosecution could bring a projector to play the CD in the open court or not.

While Justice Oweibo granted his prayer, Ojo did not raise any objection to the request by the prosecution.

The judge later adjourned the case till Wednesday for the prosecution to play the CD on a projector.

Comments

Crime & Court

Police Arrest Self-Styled PFIPC DG Hours After Court Orders His Arrest

Published

on

The police have arrested the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his arrest for failing to appear for his arraignment.

Justice Mohammed Umar issued the warrant on Tuesday after granting an oral application by the prosecution counsel, Mr Wisdom Madaki, who informed the court that the defendant had failed to honour the court’s summons.

Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.

According to the charge, the defendant allegedly held himself out as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of offences involving forgery and fraudulent misrepresentation.

Following the prosecution’s application, Justice Umar ordered the defendant’s arrest to compel his appearance before the court to answer to the charges.

The police subsequently arrested Adeyemi, paving the way for his arraignment before the court.

Further details on the circumstances surrounding his arrest were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.

Continue Reading

Crime & Court

NDLEA busts Oyo meth lab, arrests Mexican, four Nigerians

Published

on

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered and dismantled a large methamphetamine production facility concealed inside a forest in Oyo State, arresting a suspected Mexican drug expert and four Nigerians in what officials described as a major breakthrough against an international drug trafficking syndicate.

The industrial-scale laboratory was discovered at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area during an operation conducted by NDLEA operatives on June 17.

Among those arrested was a 56-year-old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was allegedly recruited to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine.
Four Nigerians identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu were also apprehended during the raid.

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the clandestine facility was equipped with substantial quantities of precursor chemicals and industrial processing equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

According to the agency, forensic analyses conducted at the site confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, while all recovered substances, chemicals and equipment had been secured as exhibits for further investigation and prosecution.

The discovery came barely four weeks after NDLEA operatives dismantled another large methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in neighbouring Ogun State, heightening concerns over attempts by drug cartels to turn the South-West into a hub for synthetic drug production.

Marwa said the latest operation underscored the agency’s determination to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria.

He warned both local and foreign drug syndicates against viewing the country as a safe destination for illicit drug activities.

“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international, that Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade,” Marwa said.

“We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.

They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong.”

The NDLEA described the operation as another significant blow against organised drug trafficking networks and commended the officers involved in the raid for their professionalism, resilience and courage.

Continue Reading

Crime & Court

Police recover Rivers SUV stolen five years ago in Gombe

Published

on

Operatives of the Gombe State Police Command have recovered a Toyota Highlander reported stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, five years ago.

The vehicle was recovered on June 8, 2026, during a routine verification exercise conducted by detectives attached to the State Intelligence Department in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service vehicle licensing office.

The spokesperson for the command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, saying the vehicle was flagged as suspicious during the process of uploading and verifying vehicle records.

According to him, the joint team identified the Toyota Highlander bearing registration number FH823PHC and subjected it to further scrutiny, which revealed that it had been declared stolen on September 17, 2021.

Preliminary findings showed that the vehicle belonged to one Cecilia A. Duru of Akwaka Lane, Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Abdullahi said investigators subsequently uncovered a transnational movement of the vehicle, establishing that it was taken to the Niger Republic in 2023 before returning to Nigeria through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025.

He added that the sport utility vehicle was later sold in Kaduna State and eventually brought to Gombe for re-registration, where it was detected and recovered by security operatives.

“Investigation is ongoing, as efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend those involved,” the police spokesperson stated.

He urged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing vehicles, advising intending buyers to verify ownership documents and authenticate vehicle records through the appropriate authorities before concluding any transaction.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to combating vehicle theft and other trans-border crimes, assuring residents that efforts were underway to arrest all those linked to the theft and illegal trafficking of the recovered vehicle.

Continue Reading

Advertisement

Entertainment

Advertisement

MegaIcon Magazine Facebook Page

Advertisement

MEGAICON TV

Advertisement

Trending