Metro News

Police arrest wanted bureau de change operator over N495.75m fraud

Published

2 years ago

September 30, 2023

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One Mohammed Hassan Barau has met his waterloo after he was arrested for fraud and obtaining by false pretense, the sum of N492.7million from a victim.

The Nigeria Police Force disclosed this on Friday.

The arrested, according to the force, was made possible by its collaboration with INTERPOL that extradited Mr Mohammed Hassan Barau to Nigeria.

The Police also disclosed that detectives from the Force Criminal Investigations Department Annex in Lagos have arrested one Peace Ekom Robert for fraudulent conversion of funds amounting to 55,000 Euros of a victim.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, made this known in a statement titled, ‘Successful Extradition of Suspect in a Case of Criminal Conspiracy, Fraud and Obtaining by False Pretense’

The statement reads, “The extant case involves a complaint filed by one Mr. Akinola Bayo Michael, who, in October 2021, sought to obtain foreign exchange (forex) for the purpose of purchasing a machine from the Netherlands.

“Mr. Michael sent a substantial sum of Four Hundred and Ninety Two Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N492,750,000) only to the bank account of Mr. Mohammed Sulaiman.

‘However, instead of facilitating the forex transaction as agreed, Mr. Sulaiman transferred the funds to another individual, Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau.

“Mr. Hassan Barau, who resides in the United Arab Emirates, subsequently sent 513,000 Euros to Mr. Michael from Belgium, supposedly for the forex transaction.

“However, this transaction was flagged as fraudulent, leading Mr. Michael to return the funds to the sender. Realizing that he had been a victim of fraud, Mr. Michael made multiple attempts to recover his money but was unsuccessful.

“The case took a significant turn when it was assigned to INTERPOL which launched an investigation into the matter.

“Recognizing the severity of the fraud and its international dimension, INTERPOL placed the prime suspect, Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau, on a red alert list, thereby facilitating international cooperation in tracking and apprehending the suspect.

“We are pleased to inform you that Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau was arrested by INTERPOL Abu Dhabi and subsequently extradited to Nigeria on 27th September 2023.

“His extradition marks a crucial milestone in the pursuit of justice for Mr. Akinola Bayo Michael.

“The successful extradition of Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies, both within and outside Nigeria, to ensuring that perpetrators of criminal activities, particularly those with international ramifications, are held accountable for their actions.

“This case underscores the importance of vigilance and due diligence in financial transactions, especially in the era of increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes.

“We urge individuals and businesses to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of financial transactions to prevent falling victim to fraud.

The other arrest involving Peace Ekom according to the statement is titled, ‘Case of Fraudulent Conversion of Funds, Forgery and Threat of Life’.

It reads, “This case centers on Mrs. Ifeanyiwas Anthonia Ugoh, who filed the complaint against one Peace Ekom Robert. On 30th January, 2023, Mrs. Ugoh had communicated with Peace Ekom Robert, indicating that she had access to a significant sum of 600,000 Euros for forex trading.

“In response, the suspect claimed to have a client requiring 780,000 Euros.

“To verify the authenticity of the suspect and her client, Mrs. Ugoh arranged for her client to make payments totaling 55,000 Euros in two installments.

“Subsequently, the suspect provided an account balance statement, allegedly showing a remarkable 5.3 billion Naira, demonstrating her client’s financial capacity for the transaction.

“However, after conducting due diligence, Mrs. Ugoh discovered that the account balance statement provided by the suspect was forged.

“When she sought to recover the 55,000 Euros or its Naira equivalent, the suspect falsely claimed that the account had been flagged by INTERPOL, even resorting to threats to dissuade Mrs. Ugoh from involving the police.

Undeterred, Mrs. Ugoh reported the matter to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Lagos, leading to the arrest of the suspect, Peace Ekom Robert.

“A friend of hers, one Hon. Ndiana-Abasi, in a bid to broker peace between the parties voluntarily paid the sum of 15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira) of the total Naira equivalence of 42,900,000 (Forty Two Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira).

“Subsequently, Peace Ekom Robert was granted bail under the condition that she would pay the outstanding balance of 27,900,000 Naira in two installments, as witnessed by Hon. Ndiana-Abasi.

“Regrettably, the suspect failed to fulfill this commitment and absconded, evading the legal process.

“In a twist of events, the suspect petitioned the Inspector General of Police, resulting in the case being forwarded to the NPF National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC).

“Recognizing the similarity of cases involving the suspect, the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) was assigned to harmonize the investigations.

“The suspect later attempted to arrange a meeting with Mrs. Ugoh to reconcile, but upon arrival, Mrs. Ugoh, accompanied by police officers, discovered that the suspect had come with officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to apprehend her.

“After realizing that the police were coordinating the case harmonization with the EFCC, the suspect ceased contact with them.

“Peace Ekom Robert was thereafter declared wanted alongside Ndiana-Abasi who came forward and clarified his position in the matter and was thereupon cleared by the Police.

“The suspect, Peace Ekom, was apprehended on 22nd September in Abuja after months of evading arrests.

“It has come to our attention that additional complainants with similar cases against her have started to come forward.

“We are committed to conducting thorough investigations, and upon the conclusion of our inquiries, the suspect will be brought to face legal consequences.

“We take this opportunity to encourage other victims of the suspect’s fraudulent activities to come forward and cooperate in the harmonization of investigations.

“This collaborative effort is pivotal in ensuring that justice is served.

The Police also listed another case titled, ‘Case of Impersonation, Fraud, and Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses’.

It reads, “The extant case involves a series of criminal activities, including impersonation, fraud, and obtaining money under false pretenses.

“Over the past two years, the IGP Monitoring Unit in concert with the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU) of the Nigeria Police has been investigating a criminal syndicate that has been perpetrating fraud against both serving and retired police officers.

“This syndicate operates by impersonating aides to high-ranking police officers, specifically the Personal Assistant to very senior police officers or the Director in charge of promotion at the Police Service Commission.

“The prime suspect in this case is one Ismaila Ayedade, who is currently at large.

“Ayedade, along with his accomplices, Nura Mohammed and Abubakar Iliyasu, uses various tactics to deceive their victims.

“They claim to be acting on behalf of high-ranking officers, promising promotions, postings, or even exoneration from disciplinary actions in exchange for monetary payments.

“They have also used the guise of auctioning SUV vehicles to entice victims.

“To date, this criminal syndicate has successfully defrauded both retired and serving police officers of over 100 million naira through various fraudulent schemes.

“They utilize different phone numbers and bank accounts to avoid detection. While the principal suspect, Ismaila Ayedade, remains at large, we have made significant progress in this case.

“Nura Mohammed and Abubakar Iliyasu have been apprehended and are currently in police custody.

“Ismaila Ayedade, the prime suspect in this case, is now officially declared as wanted by the Nigeria Police Force.

“We call on anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to come forward and assist in his apprehension.

“The arrested suspects, Nura Mohammed and Abubakar Iliyasu, will be charged to court soon to face the full weight of the law.

“We strongly caution all police officers, both serving and retired, as well as members of the public to exercise extreme caution when engaging in discussions or transactions that involve pecuniary obligations.

“Always verify the authenticity of such requests through official channels, and adhere strictly to the due process of internal control and supervision within the Force.”

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Metro News

Okada rider stabbed to death over N100 ticket in Ogun

Published

3 days ago

February 5, 2026

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A commercial motorcyclist has reportedly been stabbed to death by a transport union tax collection group, popularly known as agberos, following an argument over a N100 ticket in the Ijoko area of Ogun State.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday night after a disagreement between the deceased and some levy collectors escalated into a violent confrontation.

While it was unclear if the suspect had been arrested, the killing reportedly sparked protests by commercial motorcyclists across Lambe, Agbado and Akute communities.

Some riders were seen confronting levy collectors in parts of the affected areas, disrupting transport activities and forcing many commuters to trek to their destinations.

A motorcyclist said that two persons were stabbed during the altercation, but only one survived.

“They were fighting over a N100 ticket. It started as a small argument before it escalated on Tuesday night. The person who was killed is one of the motorcyclists from Nasarawa,” he said.

“His colleagues are the ones now confronting agberos in Lambe, Ijoko and parts of Akute.”

Another rider in Akute confirmed the incident, saying tensions had remained high since the killing.

“The man was stabbed to death by one of the agberos during an argument over the ticket. The agbero suddenly brought out a knife and stabbed him,” he said.

“Some riders have refused to work since then, which is why there are fewer commercial motorcyclists around today. The police are aware and arrested some people during another confrontation.”

Violent clashes between commercial motorcyclists and levy collectors are not new in the state. In recent years, riders have repeatedly protested what they describe as extortion and harassment.

Metro News

VIDEO: Police bust illegal baby factory in Ekiti

Published

2 weeks ago

January 28, 2026

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The Ekiti State Police Command says its operatives have uncovered an illegal baby factory located in Ikere Local Government Area of the state.

The state commissioner of police, Joe Eribo, who disclosed this to journalists, said the command received a tip-off and arrested one Onyechi Oluwadare, alongside four other suspects behind a popular hotel along Ise-Ekiti Road, Ikere-Ekiti.

Other people arrested were, Onuoha Gloria, Victoria Linus, Ihegbogu Mercy, and a pregnant woman, Emmanuel Esther.

The statement read in part, “On the 24/01/2026 at about 08:30hrs, the Command received a credible tip-off that the prime suspect, Oluwadare Onyechi, a 43-year old woman, runs an illegal baby gactory alongside four other suspects somewhere behind Inisa Hotel and Suit, along Ise-Ekiti Road, Ikere-Ekiti.

“Upon the receipt of the information, the Command Operatives swung into action, cordon off the premises used for the illegal business, and arrested Oluwadare Onyechi and four other accomplices namely, Onuoha Gloria ‘28 yrs’, Victoria Linus ‘25 yrs’, Ihegbogu Mercy ‘21 yrs’ and a heavily pregnant Emmanuel Esther ’23yrs’.

“Search was conducted in the premises and six children within the age of 2 and 9 reasonably suspected to be under bondage and exploitation were rescued. Items such as baby delivery materials, some rolls of dexamethasone tablet, and some bottles of Goya oil were recovered from the scene”.

The prime suspect in the alleged baby factory, Onyechi, denied the allegations, saying she only prays in the building for those seeking God’s favour.

The Command’s operatives also arrested one Ibrahim Abubakar, a notorious cattle rustler.

Investigation revealed that Ibrahim Abubakar has over the years, rustled numerous cattle in Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi States and has been on the wanted list of the three States.

During investigation, Ibrahim Abubakar confessed that he is into cattle rustling business and equally mentioned different occasions in the past where he attacked Cattle owners and made away with their cattle.

A large number of rustled cattle numbering two hundred and fifty-five(255) were recovered from him, alongside other 303 cattles recovered from prime suspect, making 558 cattles.

Metro News

NAFDAC uncovers fake Goya oil factory, counterfeit alcoholic drinks syndicate in Lagos

Published

2 weeks ago

January 24, 2026

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Operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have uncovered an illegal factory producing fake Goya oil in Lagos.

The agency also dismantled a major syndicate involved in the counterfeiting of alcoholic drinks in Lagos, warning that the activities pose grave dangers to public health.

Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, said the discoveries were made during surveillance and enforcement operations carried out over the past few weeks.

“We have carried out a couple of activities in recent weeks, and what we discovered was very surprising to us. We felt it was important to speak with Nigerians so they can know what has been going on,” Iluyomade said.

He disclosed that NAFDAC operatives uncovered an illegal operation inside Oke-Arin market, Lagos, where counterfeit Goya oil was being produced locally.

“The original Goya oil is imported into this country through a reputable company, and there are still original products in circulation. But we discovered that some people were faking this product and manufacturing it inside the market,” he said.

According to Iluyomade, the fake oil was produced by burning palm oil and adding chlorine, using crude equipment like stove.

“They were using a stove. We saw the stove and everything they were using. We also saw a large number of empty bottles they were refilling and repackaging,” he added.

Iluyomade warned Nigerians, particularly, churches and prayer houses, stressing that original Goya oil is never packaged in plastic (PET) bottles.

“Let me say this clearly to everybody—churches, prayer houses, and anywhere this oil is used: there is no original Goya oil packed in plastic bottles. Original Goya oil comes in glass bottles,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to report anyone selling the product in plastic bottles to the nearest NAFDAC office.

“Anywhere you see Goya oil being sold in PET bottles, report it. People should beware, noting that the use of fake anointing oils in religious settings had become widespread and dangerous.

“Some people even drink anointing oil. You are not drinking anointing oil—you are drinking poison,” Iluyomade said.

The enforcement director explained that NAFDAC’s strategy is to halt production at the source rather than punish unsuspecting traders.

“We are stopping the production. Once there is no new supply, whatever is in the market will dry up,” he said.

“We do not want to compound the problem of market women and others who may not know. But for the producers, it is the end of the road.”

He appealed to religious bodies to cooperate with the agency.

“We are not issuing threats, but it will not be nice for us to arrest people within your premises. Please partner with us and do not allow the sale or use of this product,” he said.

Iluyomade also revealed that NAFDAC had busted a major operation involved in the production of fake alcoholic drinks in Lagos.

“The faking of alcoholic drinks has become seriously endemic in Nigeria because it is one of the easiest products to counterfeit,” he said.

He said a suspect, Mr. Moses Nelson, was arrested in the Badagry area of Lagos and has been charged to court.

“In his house, we found all manner of fake products—virtually every major brand. There was none we did not see,” Iluyomade said.

According to him, the syndicate operated a distribution chain, producing the drinks in Badagry and supplying them to major markets across Lagos.

NAFDAC also warned distributors against patronising unauthorised suppliers.

“You know the original owners of these brands. Why buy from people you know are not the owners just to make more money? In the process, you are killing people,” he cautioned.

He also advised Nigerians to be wary of unusually cheap products.

“If the normal price is five naira and someone offers it at three naira, you should be suspicious. The little money you want to save, I hope you will not spend it in the hospital,” he said.

Stating that no one has the right to endanger the lives of others, Iluyomade appealed to Nigerians engaged in such illegal businesses to desist.

“We are all Nigerians and everyone wants to make ends meet, but no Nigerian has the right to make ends meet at the expense of the health of another Nigerian,” he said.

“No one has the right to make huge profits while increasing the health burden of this country.”

He assured Nigerians that NAFDAC would sustain enforcement actions nationwide and urged the public to stop patronising counterfeit products and report suspicious activities to the agency.