Crime & Court
‘We did not clash with herdsmen, but raided forests in joint operation – Oyo Amotekun Commandant explains
The Commandant of the Oyo State Security Network Agency, Operation Amotekun, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (rtd) has said that there were no clashes between his men and Fulani herdsmen in Ibarapa land and Oke Ogun axes of the state.
The Commandant, who addressed newsmen in Ibadan explained that his men launched six operations in four local government areas but that the team in Aiyete was attacked inside the forest by suspected bandits, three of whom were killed by his men.
According to him, the operations were fully supported by Fulani leaders living in the areas, adding that a number of Miyetti Allah members were part of our operations.
A statement by the Commandant, which was made available to newsmen after the media briefing further added that Amotekun operatives raided the forests of Ibarapa and Oke Ogun areas of the state in the early hours of Saturday to rid the areas of kidnappers and criminal elements.
Col. Olayanju, who equally paraded one of the suspected kidnap kingpins, Sanni Bello, said he was arrested in the forests around Aiyegun axis, in Iwajowa Local Government Area, adding that the Amotekun worked closely with officials of Miyetti Allah, whose family members have equally suffered kidnapping in recent times.
The statement by the Amotekun Commandant also indicated that the operation around the forests was embarked upon following incessant reports of killings and kidnapping in the area.
The statement read: “Contrary to any report you might have come across, there was no clash whatsoever between Fulani herdsmen and Amotekun in Ibarapa or Oke Ogun axes of Oyo State.
“What happened was that we launched clearance operations in different locations around the thick forests of the four local governments that have suffered kidnapping and wanton killings in recent times.
“When our men entered the forests at Aiyede, they were attacked, leading to a gun battle where three of the attackers died. One of our men sustained injuries.
“It is not a clash with the fulani because the Fulanis were part of the planning of the operation and we raided the forests together. We are in touch with Seriki who is the leader of the Fulani in the area. Even after our men were withdrawn Saturday afternoon, we got reports that some Fulani were kidnapped in one location close to the area of operation. So they are working with us because they are also victims of the dastardly acts of kidnapping in the area.
“The incessant kidnapping and wanton destruction of lives necessitated the planning of a clearance operation from Lanlate, Igbo Ora, Igangan, Iganna and Aiyegun general areas in Ibarapa East, Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North as well as Iwajowa Local Government Areas.
“There were six teams in all comprising members of Amotekun, Vigilantes, Hunters and Maiyetti Allah Vigilante.
“All the six teams had elements of these groups ( joint team). “However, at Igbo Ora, one of the teams had an encounter with two armed men, effected their arrest and recovered one double barrel rifle. All suspects and weapon were handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO Magoro Police Station, Igbo Ora at about 9am on Saturday.
“In a related development, another team was attacked at about 9.30am in Igangan forest, Ibarapa North while on the clearance operations at a settlement. The attack was repelled resulting to serious injury on one member of Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) and three other suspects. Two dane guns were recovered at the scene.
“In Iwajowa LGA, one of the teams also arrested a kidnap kingpin operating around Aiyegun axis. He was arrested with a locally made pistol and cartridges.
“However, the operation was suspended at about 12 noon on Saturday to allow for further stock taking”, the statement explained
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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