Crime

Cyber Crime: Former Enugu SSG drags Assembly aspirant to Court

Published

3 years ago

May 31, 2023

Everydaynewsngr

Former State Assembly aspirant and local politician in Nsukka Local Government Area, of Enugu State, Mr. Onyeka Ugwu, was today, Wednesday, May 31, 2023, charged to Chief Magistrate Mba’s Court in Enugu metropolis following the unraveling of his alleged relentless exercise in cyber-stalking of former Secretary to the Government of Enugu State, Dr. Dan Shere.

The cyber-stalker who was learnt to be one of Shere’s close aides and Opi-Nsukka townsman, had allegedly worked ceaselessly at injuring the reputation of Dr. Shere from about 2018 to the present day when he was eventually caught and brought to court.

He had allegedly, steadily crafted and circulated malicious contents against the person of the former SSG, ensuring that his prestige and social capital within the political and community leadership levels were kept at the lowest ebb at all times.

He had allegedly acquired various SIM cards for this operation and had achieved a level of steady flow of his brand of propaganda that readers of his obnoxious contents had gotten used to his choice of words.

His media were WhatsApp personal and group forums, and other social media platforms.

First Count of the Charge, No: CME/354c/2023, reads, “That you, Onyeka Ugwu ‘Male’ and others now at large, between the month of December 2022 to May 2023, at No. 7 Deacon Okey Ogbodo Street, GRA, Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: cyber-stalking and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015.”

The charge was filed by Police Prosecutor, E. Ajogwu, Esq.

In one of the tweets in question, 58-year old Ugwu had allegedly claimed that Shere had faked his kidnap when he was seized and hauled into the Ugwogo/Ekwegbe bushes by kidnappers sometime last year.

Shere spent over five days in the jungle, where he was subjected the worst of horrific sights and fear for his dear life.

But in the words of the stalker, the story of kidnap was allegedly made up by Shere for personal popularity and political agenda.

He allegedly asked his audience to ignore the news of any such kidnap.

In another tweet which he widely circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, he allegedly claimed that Shere had used one of his agents to script a petition to the EFCC and ICPC, against the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, over a claimed 50 million Dollar water grant.

In the same tweet, he alleged that Shere had also clandestinely propped Labour Party candidates against the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidates, a story capable of strongly annoying PDP leadership to mobilise against Shere.

The second Count of the Charge reads, “that you Onyeka Ugwu and others now at large on the same date and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district did intentionally type and send messages to Barr. Sylve Onah, Joel Asogwa, Fr. Ben Agbo, Barr. Ralph Ugwu, Hon. Emeka Odoh, Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani, Hon. Eugene Odoh and other members of the public variously titled “Dan Shere’s obsession for power and intrigues in Opi”, “Bombshell!!! Dr. Dan Shere’s Multi Billion Fraud Busted”, “Dan Shere as clog in the wheel of progress of PDP in Enugu North”, “Destabiliser”, etc, through the phone number, 08160954334 to WhatsApp social network, knowing same to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, insult and hatred of Dr. Dan Shere, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”

Ugwu, an Opi-Nsukka local politician, who had endlessly begged Dr. Shere to recommend him to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for a seat in the Enugu State House of Assembly, 2023, was also charged under Section 24, subsection 2 (a) and Section 34 of the same Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015, and risks various terms of imprisonment if convicted.

Police sources said that the stalker was arrested after Shere had lodged complaints against the user of certain GSM numbers which had been persistently used in attacking and stalking him. The Police had then carried out investigations and eventually tracked the numbers to Ugwu’s home which was searched and many SIM cards, including the ones used against Shere, were discovered. He was said to have confessed to the acts, but pleaded effusively to be forgiven.

Since his arrest, another source revealed, Shere had come under intense pressure by friends and other networth persons who had been contacted by the stalker and wife, to plead on his behalf.

Shere, who was at the arraignment sat calmly, in utter shock. When he eventually spoke, it was in shocked whispers, “this man’s damage to my person is unquantifiable…it is colossal…there is no end to it, and it went on for too long…I had been wondering who was doing this to me…for so long,” he moaned, almost in tears.

When prodded to speak on the possible reasons for such sustained campaign of calumny, he said that he had no idea. “I actually regarded him as one of my closest boys. I was his first son’s godfather. I took him into confidence. We were so intimate that he could pass the night in my house, without any formal notification…now can you imagine what would be in the mind of the immediate past governor when a person who was always in my personal company or entourage each time I visited him (the governor) sent him such fabricated story of me writing or promoting somebody to write petitions to EFCC and ICPC?” His frame quaked in reverberation, as he contemplated the quantum damage.

Ugwu had also allegedly sent out tweets claiming that Shere had seized swaths belonging to his Opi community, and that lands belonging to the Ekweghe, a neighbouring town were also netted into the Shere vast land estate. He claimed that the size was more than two times that of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, land areas.

He even alleged that Shere had started selling some portions of the lands and had planned and commenced a designed massive housing scheme, independent estates and commercial farm lands, at a place close to the Maduka University at Ekwegbe, Igbo Etiti Local government area.

Shere is a politician of good measures and being targeted as he was, does not appear to observers as a mere design, plot and execution of a loner as Onyeka Ugwu, who stood in the arraignment box.

One of Nsukka political players who chose anonymity, told this reporter that Onyeka Ugwu was an agent of some persons who had worked hard, from 2003 to clip Shere’s wings in politics of Enugu State. According to him, it was the same group that used their kind of measures to get the then governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, to change his mind about fielding Shere as his successor in 2007. The same group or an offshoot of it has been at work, and the aim was that Shere must be stopped at all costs from being admitted into the inner chambers of the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

“I don’t know what they have planned in this new administration,” he said, but, “in my calculation,” he averred, “it would be naïve to think that the coast is clear just because one of them is uncovered. It is a ring, and it is one that is deeply embedded in the Shere clan,” he said.

Ugwu, whose plea could not be taken, was denied bail and the matter adjourned to June 16, 2023, by Magistrate Mba.

Crime

Police arrest 4 suspects for armed robbery, cultism, recover firearm, others in Enugu

Published

6 hours ago

August 3, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested four suspects for armed robbery and cultism, recovering firearm and other exhibits in the state.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Spokesman of the Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Saturday in Enugu.

Ndukwe noted that the operational successes led to the arrest of two armed robbery suspects and two suspected cultists in separate operations.

“On July 27 at 6:20a.m., operatives of Anti-Cultism Sub-Unit of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), acting on confessional statement of a suspected member of the Black Axe Confraternity, and recovered one pick-handle axe.

“The suspect had earlier been arrested at a hotel in Independence Layout, Enugu, on July 26 with a knife recovered from him, while another accomplice escaped.

“The duo allegedly robbed a victim of a Samsung A12 mobile phone at the hotel from a male victim, while another victim sustained an injury to a finger on his right hand during the robbery.

“The robbed phone, knife, and pick-handle axe were all recovered,” he said.

Ndukwe also noted that at 12 noon on July 26, following credible information and collaboration with law-abiding residents, operatives attached to the command’s Igbo-Etiti Police Division arrested two male suspected cultists in Ukehe community.

The spokesman said that the suspects were found in possession of one locally-made pistol and one expended cartridge, which were recovered from them.

According to him, they also confessed to being members of the Aye Confraternity.

He said that Investigations are currently ongoing to arrest other accomplices still at large and recover additional exhibits.

Ndukwe said that all detained suspects would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

The state’s Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Mamman Giwa, had commended the vigilance and cooperation of members of the public, particularly the law-abiding residents of Ukehe Community.

The commissioner urged residents to remain law-abiding and continue to provide timely and credible information to the police to enhance the fight against crime and criminality across in the state.

Crime

Troops dismantle criminal syndicate operating in S/East, S/South, recover cache of stolen weapons

Published

8 hours ago

August 3, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade, operating under Operation UDOKA through ongoing Operation EASTERN SANITY II, have arrested key members of a notorious criminal syndicate responsible for ambush of troops on May 4, 2026.

This is contained in a statement issued by the acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 82 Division Nigerian Army, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, on Saturday in Enugu.

Ayeni said that unfortunately, the ambush claimed the life of one soldier and left another wounded.

He said that following the attack, troops launched a series of intelligence-led raids aimed at apprehending the perpetrators and recovering weapons stolen during the incident.

According to him, these sustained operations resulted in the arrest of the suspects.

He noted that acting on actionable intelligence, in the early hours of July 31, 2026 troops in collaboration with 181 Battalion operating under 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, conducted a coordinated raid at Opaebe and Oleh in Delta.

The army spokesman said that the raid led to the arrest of the suspects popularly known as Chiboy, Marathon, and Onowu, who had fled to Oleh in Delta State after the dastardly ambush on troops.

He said that the suspects guided troops to their hideouts at Aggah Plantation, Ekpeaggah, Rivers State, and Umudike Plantation, where the stolen weapons and other arms used in committing their nefarious acts were concealed.

“During the operation, troops recovered the stolen service weapons comprising one AK-47 rifle with two magazines and one FN rifle with two magazines.

“Additionally, troops recovered three more AK-47 rifles with nine magazines, pistols with their magazines, 194 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and 45 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition.

“Military clothing and protective gear, including camouflage shirts, trousers, jungle hats, and a fragment protection jacket, were also recovered.

“Other items included one empty first aid box and five mobile phones believed to be linked to the syndicate’s criminal activities,” he said.

Ayeni said that the suspects are currently in custody for further investigation and would face prosecution in accordance with the law.

He said that the Headquarters Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDOKA, had commended the professionalism, resilience, and inter-agency cooperation demonstrated by the troops throughout the operation.

“This success underscores the commitment of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies to safeguarding lives and dismantling criminal networks in order to sustain the peace-building processes ongoing across the region,” he added.

Crime

Enugu Police Rescue One Kidnap Victim, Intensify Search for Two Others

Published

22 hours ago

August 2, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The Enugu State Police Command has rescued one of three persons abducted by armed men at Inoyi, Affa Community, in Udi Local Government Area of the state.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, August 2, 2026, within the precinct of a church in the community.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement that joint security operatives comprising police personnel, forest guards and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group had intensified operations to apprehend the suspects and rescue the remaining two victims.
According to him, the operatives, while closing in on the fleeing assailants, forced them to abandon one of the victims, who was rescued unhurt.
He said the attackers, however, escaped with the other two victims.
The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has directed the Area Commander, Oji-River, and the Head of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit to intensify the operation and deploy all available resources to secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims.
The CP also directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department to generate actionable intelligence to support the rescue operation.
He further ordered the activation of the surveillance and technical capabilities of the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre to bolster efforts to locate the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The Police Commissioner urged residents of Affa Community to remain calm and provide credible information that could assist the security agencies in rescuing the remaining victims and bringing the suspects to justice.
Residents can report information through 08032003702, 08086671202, 112, 09134666668 or 09134448093, or via email at pproenugu@npf.gov.ng.

Crime

Civil Defence arrests suspected fraudster in Enugu

Published

4 days ago

July 30, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a suspected notorious fraudster involved in obtaining money by false pretence and other related fraudulent activities in Enugu metropolis.

Addressing journalists on Thursday in Enugu, the State Commandant, NSCDC Enugu State Command, Dr Elijah Willie, disclosed that the suspect, Raheem Abiodun, a male from Kwara, had been under surveillance by the Command.

Willie said that the suspect surveillance followed several reports linking him to fraudulent financial transactions.

The commandant explained that one of the suspect’s recent fraudulent activities occurred on July 6, when the suspect allegedly deceived a victim during a foreign exchange transaction involving $5,000 US Dollars.

According to him, the suspect was expected to transfer the naira equivalent of the foreign currency to the victim but instead transmitted a fake payment alert, thereby obtaining the money by false pretence.

He noted that acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the NSCDC Enugu State Command arrested the suspect on Tuesday, July 28, at the Enugu State Ministry of Finance, where he was apprehended without incident.

“The NSCDC operatives also recovered: four ATM cards from different banks, deposit slips bearing the name Abiodun, two complimentary cards bearing the name Engineer Abiodun, one ID card holder, designer bag, polythene bag and one iPhone 17 Pro-Max.

“One Samsung mobile phone, one internet pocket Wi-Fi device, one designer wristwatch, one file containing vehicle particulars, one gold bangle, one pair of designer trainers, one Nokia mobile phone and banking security tokens belonging to two banks,” he said.

Following the NSCDC preliminary investigation and press briefing, the commandant handed over the suspect, along with all recovered exhibits, to the Zonal Command of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The state NSCDC boss said that the handing over was in line with the EFCC’s statutory mandate over economic and financial crimes.

The commandant reaffirmed the commitment of the NSCDC in collaborating with sister security and law enforcement agencies in combating financial crimes and safeguarding the economic interests of citizens.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant, exercise caution in financial transactions, particularly foreign exchange dealings, and promptly report suspicious activities to the appropriate security agencies.

Willie also assured residents of the command’s continue deployment of intelligence-driven operations to rid the state of criminal elements and ensure that offenders are brought to justice.

Crime

Osun SSG, Five Others Arrested as Police Recover ₦4.8m, Voter Register

Published

5 days ago

July 29, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, and five others have been arrested and detained by the state Police Command following a raid on his residence in Osogbo on Wednesday.

The police said one of those arrested at the SSG’s residence was Oladele Abiodun, a suspect on its watchlist in connection with alleged criminal offences.

This was disclosed by the Osun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement obtained in Osogbo.

Ojelabi also said a total of N4,810,500, two Permanent Voter Cards, a voter register, a Dynabook laptop, one photocopier and one printer were recovered from Igbalaye’s residence.

Others arrested alongside Igbalaye were identified as Akande Taiwo, 60; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40.

The PPRO said a police team, acting on intelligence that members of a criminal gang were hiding at a location in Osogbo, carried out a lawful raid and apprehended the suspects.

“The operation also led to the arrest of the following suspects: Hon Igbalaye Teslim ‘m’ 47years, One Akande Taiwo ‘m’ 60years, Oladele Abiodun ‘m’ 38years, Adeyemo Lukman ‘m’ 45years, Olaoye Muftau ‘m’ 50years, Aderemi Musliu ‘m’ 40years.

“During the operation, officers recovered exhibits comprising cash sum of four million eight hundred and ten thousand, five hundred naira (N4,810,500), one Dynabook laptop, one photocopy machine, one printer, two Voter’s Cards and a voter register for Wards 1-15.

“These exhibits have been secured and are currently in police custody for detailed forensic examination and further investigation.

“The recovery of the cash and the register containing voters’ details raises serious concerns regarding possible electoral offences and other criminal activities.

“While investigations are still ongoing, the facts presently available disclose reasonable grounds to investigate the commission of offences, which may include:

“Bribery of voters (vote-buying), contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, arising from the alleged distribution of money or other inducements to registered voters for the purpose of influencing their voting decisions.

“Criminal conspiracy, where two or more persons are found to have agreed to commit an unlawful act.

“Harbouring or concealing a wanted criminal, where any individual is found to have knowingly sheltered or assisted a fugitive from justice.

“Any other offences that may be disclosed upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigation,” the statement read in part.

The command emphasised that the allegations against the suspects have far-reaching implications for public security, the administration of justice and the credibility of the democratic process.

“Accordingly, investigations are being intensified to identify all persons connected with the recovered exhibits, establish the source and intended use of the recovered funds, and determine the full extent of any criminal enterprise,” the statement added.

The Osun Command said no individual, irrespective of social status, political affiliation or public office, is above the law, adding that anyone found culpable at the conclusion of investigations would be prosecuted in accordance with the Constitution.

It urged members of the public to remain calm, law-abiding and continue providing credible information to assist the police in preventing crime and ensuring peaceful, free, fair and credible electoral processes.

The Osun State Government on Wednesday accused the state command of the Nigeria Police Force of invading the residence of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, without a search warrant.

The allegation was contained in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.

He also claimed that those the police met on the premises were arrested.

Alimi further alleged that the SSG’s residence was burst into by a combined team of police officers led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.