News
Surrender Illegal Firearms In Seven Days, Rivers Police Warn Groups
The Rivers State Police Command has given a seven-day ultimatum to all groups or individuals in possession of illegal firearms to return same to the appropriate police formations or face severe consequences.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Nnamdi Omoni, gave the assertion in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt at the weekend, stating that the mop up of arms was not targeted at any particular group in the state.
He said the directive to recover the illegal arms was from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to all state police commands, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
He added that only one vigilante group had so far surrendered their arms to the police, stressing that the essence of the exercise was for all who bear or desire to bear firearms do so legally.
Omoni said: “Only the Choba OSPAC vigilance group has submitted their firearms, the window is still open for other groups to turn in their arms before we go after them.
“The idea is nobody should bear arms without the proper procedure. If you have arms with you without following the proper procedure, then, you have fallen foul of the law, and you will be dealt with accordingly.
“The Commissioner of Police, in his magnanimity, has decided to give them one week within which to turn in these arms, otherwise the IGP’s directive is clear that the order be enforced with immediate effect”, Omoni emphasised.
He said that indiscriminate and unlawful bearing of arms portends grave danger to the society, adding that no one was above the law, irrespective of class; hence, none was exempted from the exercise.
“This turning in of prohibited arms to the police is not targeted at anybody, it is a directive of the Inspector General of Police across the country, including Abuja. Big men are not exempted, nobody is above the law, what we are doing is, if you must carry firearms, you must acquire them lawfully, if you are mentally incapacitated, you cannot bear firearms. When we see these arms indiscriminately in the hands of persons, it portends a lot of danger for the society”, he added.
Omoni warned that after the expiration of the deadline, the law would catch up with anyone found in possession of illegal firearms.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has arrested the prime suspect and four others over the kidnap of a 65-year-old man, Mr Sokari Braide.
Braide died two days after he regained freedom.
His captors had collected N1.2million ransom before his release from their captivity.
Braide was kidnapped at Elechi Waterfront Phase 2, Mile 1, Diobu in Port Harcourt, last week, when gunmen invaded his residence, shooting sporadically.
The prime suspect, Perfect Agbasi, who happens to be the victim’s in-law, told journalists at the state Police Command Headquarters during a parade, last Friday, that the leader of the kidnap gang contacted him after the incident to give him the victim’s wife’s phone number.
Agbasi disclosed that he contacted one Gentle, who gave him the phone number and he later went to see the kidnappers in Ogoni before being taken to Andoni, where the victim was kept.
He confirmed that the kidnappers gave him N20, 000 for getting the victim’s wife’s mobile number for them.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has indicted a new generation bank, six Fintechs and some microfinance banks in major financial scams by allowing fraudsters to launder huge sums of money.
Director of public Affairs of the Commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, made this known at a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, yesterday.
According to him, the compromised institutions allegedly allowed cryptocurrency transactions worth N162 billion to pass through without proper due diligence within the 2024/2025 financial year.
He said that the financial institutions clearly compromised banking procedures and allowed the fraudsters to safely change their ill-gotten gains into digital assets and move them to safe destinations.
“A total sum of N18.1 billion was moved through the financial system without due diligence of customers by the banks.
“It is worrisome that investigations by the commission showed that cryptocurrency transactions to the tune of N162 billion passed through a new generation bank without any due diligence.
“Investigations showed that a single customer maintained 960 accounts in another new bank and all the accounts were used for fraudulent purposes.
“That is bad news but the good news is that following our intervention the commission has been able to recover N33.62 million, which has been returned to some of the victims.”
He explained that the scams were in two categories, adding that the first was a syndicate of fraudsters that employed an airline discount scheme to lure their victims.
He said that they advertised a discount system for the purchase of flight tickets of a particular foreign carrier.
“The payment module is designed in such a way that the victims’ payment is actually made into the account of the airline.
“After payment is made the passenger’s entire funds in his bank account are emptied.
“Investigations showed that more than 700 victims have been scammed so far, with a loss of N651 million,” he said.
According to him, investigations show that the scheme is being masterminded by a foreign national; the commission has so far recovered and released N33 million to victims of the fraud.
He said that another scheme involved a company named Fred and Farid Investment Limited, simply called FF investment, which lured Nigerians into a bogus investment arrangement.
“More than 200, 000 victims have been defrauded in this regard. A total sum of N18 billion was raked in through nine companies offering diverse investment packages.
“The companies are: Credio Banco Limited; Deliberty Rock Limited; Liam Chumeks Global Service; Ngwuoke Daniels Technology; and Icons Autos and Import Merchant.
“Others are : Newpace Technology Services Limited, Primepath Ways Ventures Limited, Kaka Synergy Network Limited and Sunlight Tech Hub Services Limited.”
He said that foreign nationals were behind the schemes, while there are three Nigerian accomplices who have been arrested and charged to court.
He said that the masterminds were on the run and efforts are being made to bring them to book.
“The Commission is calling on regulatory bodies to bring financial institutions to compulsory compliance with regulations in the areas of Know Your Customers (KYC), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and others.
“Deposit Money Banks, Fintechs, Micro Finance Banks found to be aiding and abetting fraudsters should be suspended and referred to the EFCC for thorough investigation and possible prosecution.
“Negligence and failure to monitor suspicious and structured transactions by banks should no longer be allowed,” he said.
While cautioning members of the public to be wary of these actors, he said that the EFCC would continue its works against money laundering by fraudulent actors.
Uwujaren urged financial institutions to firm up their operational dynamics and save the nation leakages and compromises bleeding the economy.
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