Crime
Convicted fraudster masterminds N17m scam from Ogun prison
It was gathered that Oso and the victim got connected on Facebook and after chatting with each other for a while, they commenced a relationship.
During the relationship, it was learnt that Oso’s lover, through a Point-of-Sale operator identified simply as Ayoola, paid him money in tranches amounting to N17m.
Along the line, the victim, while assessing her relationship with Oso who reportedly never disclosed his status as an inmate to her, started suspecting foul play and later shared her experience with her yet-to-be-identified sister.
The victim’s sister, thereafter, involved her husband, a serving policeman attached to the Ondo State Police Command, who, on the suspicion of a romance scam, reported the case to the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit for investigation.
The policemen trailed the PoS operator to Ibara, Ogun State, arrested him and took him to their operational base in Akure, Ondo State, for interrogation.
It was learnt that during interrogation, Ayoola confessed that the money was for Oso, and mentioned two persons, a school cleaner, Nofisat Adeosun, and Oso’s brother-in-law identified simply as Segun, as people who usually collected money from him on the instruction of the inmate.
Narrating her ordeal on Monday, Adeosun said she was at work when the policemen stormed the premises on February 8, 2023, to arrest her, adding that she was also taken to their base in Akure.
She said, “When the policemen arrested me at my workplace at Ibara Baptist Nursery and Primary School, I asked what my offence was and I was told that they will tell me when we get to their base in Akure.
“When we got there, they told me I was arrested because of N17m fraud committed by an inmate of Ibara Correctional Centre, Femi Oso. I was told the money was paid to Oso through a PoS operator, Ayoola.
“The police had arrested Ayoola and arrested me on the allegation that I knew about the fraud and I said I knew nothing about it. When I asked Ayoola at the station why he mentioned my name, especially when I am not aware of the money, he started pleading.”
The mother of two said she spent about 10 days before she was allowed to call a family friend, Oluwafemi Adekunle, who alongside his relative, Jide Ikumapayi, came to secure her bail.
She, however, explained that the school where she was working as a cleaner terminated her appointment following the arrest.
He added that Ayoola, alongside Oso’s brother-in-law, Segun, who on behalf of his in-law, reportedly collected the N17m from the PoS operator for onward delivery to his sister who was said to still be at large, was also arrested.
He said, “When one of our family members was an inmate at Ibara Correctional Centre, if we want to send him money, we usually sent it to the PoS operator and because the school where Adeosun works is closer to the prison, she usually assisted us in getting the money from the PoS operator to our person in prison.
“That our person and Femi Oso were inmates. After our person completed his term in prison, he left. But because Oso, who is an inmate on death row, was aware that Adeosun usually assisted our person in collecting money from the PoS operator, he pleaded with her to assist him and occasionally she assisted whenever his family sent him money.
“So, when Ayoola, who runs the PoS shop close to the prison was arrested for the N17m fraud, he said he got to know Oso through Adeosun but refused to disclose that Adeosun knew nothing about the N17m. When we got to the police at Akure, Ayoola said it was Segun that collected the N17m from him and not Adeosun and that was how she was released on bail.”
Ikumapayi said an investigation was also extended to the Ibara Correctional Centre to bring in Oso for questioning, adding that he was not released because of his status as an inmate on death row.
He, however, said efforts were on to arrest Oso’s wife, who went into hiding after realising that the police were on her trail.
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ondo State Command, Funmi Odunlami, while confirming the development, said an investigation into the case was still ongoing.
“When I spoke with the officer in charge of the case, he said the case was ongoing and won’t say anything about it until they are through. He said he wants to finish the case so that those that needed to be paraded would be paraded,” Odulami said.
Contacted on Monday, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Correctional Service in Ogun State, Victor Oyeleke, after getting a brief of the development from our correspondent, promised to make some findings and get back for a reaction but did not do so.
He refused to take follow-up calls made to his phone number on Tuesday and had yet to reply to two text messages requesting a reaction regarding the case.
However, this is not the first time the NCS will be in the news concerning cases of inmates masterminding fraudulent transactions while serving their term in the custody of the service.
Sometime in November 2019, it was reported that the spokesperson for the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, confirmed that a convicted Internet fraudster, Hope Aroke, who was then serving a 24-year jail term in the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre in Lagos State, allegedly masterminded a $1m scam while in custody.
By Our Correspondent
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation for 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps members and other passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
The victims were reportedly abducted on Thursday, October 1, 2026, around Umunoha in Imo State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, CSP Anietie Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
According to the statement, Nadada arrived in the state alongside two Commissioners of Police and immediately conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the incident and the ongoing rescue operation.
He also reviewed the operational strategies, deployment of personnel and available assets, while issuing additional directives aimed at strengthening the coordinated response.
The assessment was conducted alongside the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso; the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal Operations, CP Akpan Anifiok; the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force; other service commanders and members of the management team of the Imo State Police Command.
Iniedu said the search-and-rescue operation had been intensified, with additional tactical teams and operational assets deployed to identified areas.
He added that the operation was being supported by intelligence-led tracking of the abductors and coordinated efforts with other security agencies.
Nadada assured members of the public that the police remained committed to securing the safe release of the abducted persons.
“The Nigeria Police Force is committed to securing the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and will sustain the operation until the mission is successfully concluded,” Iniedu quoted Nadada as saying.
The police boss urged members of the public and the media to remain calm and vigilant, while appealing to anyone with credible information that could assist the operation to contact the police or the nearest security formation.
He assured the public that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality.
The police said further updates would be provided as the rescue operation progresses.
Five men have been arrested and arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Maiduguri, Borno State, after police allegedly found them wearing T-shirts bearing the words “Tinubu Must Go.”
The defendants were identified as Baba Aji Gremami, 44; Mustapha Abba Yemen, 28; Abbacha Mohammed Ali, 32; Adam Umar Gubio, 21; and Abdulhamid Mohammed, 21.
According to a First Information Report issued by the State Criminal Investigation Department, the incident occurred on September 25, 2026, near West End Roundabout in Maiduguri.
Police charged the five men with criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery under Sections 60, 78, 79 and 392 of the Borno State Penal Code.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Court I in Maiduguri.
Their lawyer subsequently applied for bail. The court adjourned the matter until October 6, 2026, to rule on the bail application, while the substantive trial has been scheduled for October 26.
The case has drawn attention because the alleged conduct involved wearing clothing displaying a political message.
Amnesty International criticised the prosecution, describing the arrests as arbitrary and arguing that peaceful political expression is protected by fundamental human rights. The organisation called for the immediate release of the five men and urged authorities to discontinue the case.
Amnesty International also expressed concern that the prosecution could have implications for political expression and opposition activities in Borno State.
The case has generated reactions on social media, with some commentators questioning whether the display of political messages on clothing should constitute a criminal offence.
There have also been allegations that a prominent politician in Borno State may have influenced the arrests. The allegation has not been independently verified.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, were reportedly unsuccessful as of the time of filing.
The defendants remain subject to the court process, and the allegations against them have not been established in court.
The Jigawa State Hisbah Board has arrested eight people in Kazaure Local Government Area over alleged homosexual acts, according to the board.
The board’s Public Relations Officer, Dauda Hadejia, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Hadejia said the arrests followed a complaint filed by a 22-year-old man, who alleged that nine individuals had engaged in sexual acts with him on different occasions.
According to the statement, the complainant also claimed that he later contracted HIV, which he attributed to the alleged encounters. He reportedly appealed to the Hisbah authorities for justice, describing the alleged conduct as deceptive and harmful to his life.
Following the complaint, Hadejia said Hisbah operatives launched an investigation and began searching for the nine individuals named by the complainant.
“So far, eight suspects have been arrested, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspect,” Hadejia said.
He added that the eight arrested individuals reportedly admitted during preliminary investigations to having engaged in sexual acts with the complainant.
Hadejia said the board had gathered information and evidence that would be presented before a court. He added that the investigation remained ongoing and that the suspects would be charged upon its completion.
The Deputy Commander-General of the Jigawa State Hisbah Board, Dr. Hussain Baban, reportedly urged parents to pay closer attention to their children’s upbringing and the people with whom they associate.
He also called on members of the public to be mindful of the consequences of their actions and to uphold religious and moral values.
The board further expressed appreciation to the Jigawa State Government for its support and cooperation in carrying out its responsibilities.
A newly married couple, Funmilayo Bamidele and her husband, Reverend Abiodun David, have been abducted along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, a border route linking Kwara and Kogi states.
The couple were reportedly returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku on Saturday evening when armed men intercepted their vehicle and abducted them alongside four other passengers.
According to sources, the vehicle was initially expected to take the Isanlu Road. However, the driver reportedly chose an alternative route to drop off the best man and other members of the group at Iyamoye in Kogi State.
The vehicle was subsequently intercepted by armed men along the Iyemero-Eruku Road, leading to the abduction of all the occupants.
A photograph of the newly abducted couple has since emerged following the incident, while details about the whereabouts of the other passengers remain unclear.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said soldiers had been deployed to search the surrounding bushes and rescue the victims while also pursuing the suspected kidnappers.
Ojo disclosed that the vehicle used by the victims was later found abandoned at a former police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State.
He added that police operatives from Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states were working jointly on the rescue operation because the incident occurred around the border communities of the three states.
Authorities have yet to disclose further details on the identities of the suspected abductors or whether any contact has been established with the victims.
At least five miners have been killed and two others injured after gunmen reportedly ambushed them at a mining site in Plateau State.
The incident occurred at about 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, in Marit village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
According to community sources, the miners were carrying out their legitimate activities when they came under attack. The incident has plunged the community into mourning and renewed concerns over the safety of residents in the area.
Confirming the attack, the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, said five people lost their lives while two others sustained injuries.
“It is a very sad and painful development. Our people are once again mourning the loss of lives to violence,” Tengwong said, while calling on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect communities and prevent similar incidents.
A community member, Simon Mundat, also described the attack as devastating and appealed to the authorities to strengthen security in the area.
“We are deeply saddened by this attack. We appeal to authorities to strengthen security in the area so that our people can go about their legitimate activities without fear,” he said.
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