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World’s police in technological arms race with Nigerian mafia

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Police units around the world have joined forces in a series of covert operations targeting one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks – Black Axe.

Operation Jackal III saw officers in body armour carry out raids in 21 countries between April and July 2024.

The mission, co-ordinated by global policing agency Interpol, led to the arrest of 300 people with links to Black Axe and other affiliated groups.

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Interpol called the operation a “major blow” to the Nigerian crime network, but warned that its international reach and technological sophistication mean it remains a global threat.

In one notorious example, Canadian authorities said they had busted a money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe worth more than $5bn (£3.8bn) in 2017.

“They are very organised and very structured,” Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, told the BBC.

According to a 2022 report by Interpol, “Black Axe and similar groups are responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud as well as many other serious crimes”.

Mr Kaya said innovations in money-transfer software and cryptocurrency have played into the hands of group, which are renowned for multi-million dollar online scams.

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“These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies… A lot of fintech developments make it really easy to illegally move money around the world,” he said.

The ultra-violent cult that became a global mafia
Operation Jackal III was years in the making and led to the seizure of $3m of illegal assets and more than 700 bank accounts being frozen.

Many Black Axe members are university educated and are recruited during their schooling.

The organisation is a secretive criminal network with trafficking, prostitution and killing operations around the world.

Cyber-crime, targeting individuals and businesses, is the organisation’s largest source of revenue.

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Multiple so-called “Jackal” police operations have taken place since 2022.

Dozens of Black Axe and other gang members have been arrested and their electronic devices seized during these transnational raids. This work has enabled Interpol to create a vast intelligence database, which is now shared with officers throughout its 196 member countries.

“We need to have data and to collate our findings from these countries to help build a picture of their modus operandi,” said Mr Kaya.

Despite multiple international arrests, some experts feel not enough is being done to address the root of these crime syndicates in West Africa.

“The emphasis must actually be on prevention not on outright operations against these criminal groups,” said Dr Oluwole Ojewale, West Africa Regional Co-ordinator from the Institute for Security Studies.

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Nigeria, which has witnessed widespread anti-corruption protests in recent weeks, is one of Africa’s largest economies, but has as many as 87 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank. It is also the main recruitment ground for Black Axe.

Interpol said it was carrying out training exercises with key Nigerian stakeholders and police officials. But corruption, and allegations of collusion between Black Axe and local authorities, remain major obstacles.

“It is the politicians who are actually arming these boys,” said Dr Ojewale. “The general failure of governance in the country has made pressures for people to be initiated [into Black Axe].”

Despite its current global reach, Interpol’s Jackal Operations have their origins in Ireland.

Following a series of police raids by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) in 2020, a handful of Black Axe members were arrested, paving the way for the exposure of a far wider network.

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“They were very under the radar, very low-key,” said Michael Cryan, detective superintendent at the GNECB, which led the operation.

“The amount of money being laundered through Ireland was astronomical,” he added.

The police subsequently identified 1,000 people with links to Black Axe in Ireland and have made hundreds of arrests for fraud and cyber-crime.

“Bank robberies are now done with laptops – they’re far more sophisticated,” said Det Supt Cryan.

He estimates €200m ($220m; £170m) have been stolen online in Ireland in the past five years, and that only accounts for the 20% of cyber-crimes that are believed to be reported.

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“This is not typical or ordinary crime… People who make decisions need to know how serious this is,” he said.

Irish police operations in November 2023 revealed that cryptocurrency – which can be sent rapidly between digital wallets around the world – is becoming an integral element in Black Axe’s money-laundering operations.

More than €1m in crypto-assets were seized during one operation.

Interpol has deployed its own new technology in an attempt to tackle these innovations, launching the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system (I-GRIP).

The mechanism, which enables the authorities in member countries to freeze bank accounts around the world with unprecedented speed, was used to halt a $40m scam targeting a Singaporean business last month.

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Interpol’s Mr Kaya said technology like this would make it harder for criminals to move money across borders with impunity.

A major effort is under way to gather and share intelligence on Black Axe and other West African syndicates by police around the world.

“If we can gather this data we can take action,” he said.
BBC

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Crime

Missing Manhood Scare Hits Ghana as Police Dismiss 10 Cases After Medical Tests

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The Asankragwa Divisional Police Command in Ghana has dismissed 10 reported cases of alleged missing manhood after medical examinations confirmed that all the complainants had their genitalia intact and medically normal.

The Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Vitus Napen, disclosed this during a press briefing in Asankragwa on Monday, October 26, 2026.

According to him, the first complaint was recorded at Wassa Dunkwa on October 17, with nine additional cases subsequently reported across the division.

Giving a breakdown, Napen said Wassa Dunkwa recorded six cases, Asankragwa two, while Aboi Nkwanta and Breman recorded one case each.

He explained that the complainants alleged that their genitalia disappeared after coming into physical contact with other individuals.

However, medical examinations conducted on all 10 complainants established that none had lost their genitalia.

The police chief attributed the growing scare to panic, anxiety and misinformation, warning residents against raising false alarms capable of triggering violence and public disorder.

He cautioned that individuals found responsible for spreading false claims could face prosecution for offences relating to the publication of false news and deceiving public officers.

Mob Attacks Police Vehicle Over Alleged Missing Manhood

Meanwhile, the police commander condemned an incident at Breman, where an angry mob vandalised a police patrol vehicle during an attempt by officers to rescue a suspect accused of causing a man’s genitalia to disappear.

Napen disclosed that the mob smashed the rear windscreen of the patrol vehicle while attempting to lynch the suspect.

Describing the attack as criminal, he warned that anyone found assaulting security personnel or destroying public property would be arrested and prosecuted.

He urged residents to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and allow security agencies to investigate complaints through appropriate procedures.

The commander also appealed to traditional rulers, opinion leaders and assembly members in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality to intensify public enlightenment and discourage the spread of unverified allegations.

He encouraged residents to report suspected criminal activities to the police rather than resorting to mob action.

Napen added that no arrests had been made in connection with the vandalism as of the briefing, but assured that investigations were ongoing to identify and prosecute those responsible.

Source: Graphic Ghana

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Crime

Police Arrest Suspected Serial Rapist in Enugu, Recover Victims’ Nude Videos

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…Suspect allegedly targeted female POS operators, used Facebook to lure victims
The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old man, Ugbor Chika Paul, over allegations of serial rape, armed robbery and sextortion involving female victims in different parts of the state.
The Command disclosed that a mobile phone recovered from the suspect contained nude photographs and video recordings of several identified and unidentified female victims.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly specialised in luring female Point-of-Sale (POS) operators to isolated locations under the guise of conducting financial transactions before robbing and sexually assaulting them.
According to the police, the suspect also operated a Facebook account under the fictitious name, Franklin Umeh, which he allegedly used to lure another victim into his trap.
Giving details of the incidents, Ndukwe said the first victim, a 20-year-old POS operator at Akwata Market, Enugu, was allegedly lured to a bush behind St. Peter’s Church, Coal Camp, around 11 a.m. on May 21, 2026.
The suspect reportedly raped the victim and dispossessed her of N600,000.
In another incident on August 11, 2026, a 30-year-old female POS operator from the same market was allegedly taken to the same location around 5 p.m., where the suspect attempted to rape her before robbing her of approximately N120,000.
The police further disclosed that a third victim, aged 21, was allegedly contacted through Facebook by the suspect, who introduced himself as Franklin Umeh.
She was reportedly lured to Old Park, Enugu, around 11:30 a.m. on October 4, 2026, before being taken to a secluded bush around Udi Siding.
At the location, the suspect allegedly raped and sexually assaulted her, recorded her nakedness and robbed her of N100,000 and her mobile phone.
He subsequently demanded an additional N200,000 from the victim, threatening to circulate her nude video if she failed to comply.
The police alleged that he also used the victim’s stolen phone to contact some individuals on her WhatsApp contact list.
Ndukwe confirmed that investigations were ongoing, adding that the suspect would be arraigned in court upon their conclusion.
The Command appealed to other persons who might have fallen victim to the suspect’s activities to come forward with useful information to assist investigators.
It equally encouraged women experiencing cyberstalking, sexual blackmail or sextortion to report such incidents to the police rather than suffer in silence.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to tackle sexual violence, robbery and other criminal activities across Enugu State.
He urged residents, particularly women and business operators, to remain security-conscious and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to the nearest police formation.

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Police Arrest Suspected Fake Lawyer After 11 Years of Practice in Ebonyi

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The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested one Ugwumba Enyinnaya for allegedly posing as a qualified legal practitioner and engaging in legal practice for over 11 years without the required credentials.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday, explaining that the suspect was apprehended following investigations into a petition bordering on obtaining money under false pretence.

According to the police, Enyinnaya allegedly collected N650,000 from one Chukwu David in March 2026, claiming he would facilitate the processing and approval of a street-naming request in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.

The petitioner reportedly entrusted the money to the suspect after he presented himself as an experienced lawyer capable of handling the transaction.

However, investigations by police operatives subsequently revealed that Enyinnaya had allegedly been impersonating a legal practitioner for more than a decade.

Police said the suspect admitted during interrogation that he was not a qualified lawyer.

A search conducted at his residence reportedly led to the recovery of several items, including a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal, a portrait showing him dressed in barrister’s attire, a legal wig and gown, and purported Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) certificates bearing the name of Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

Other exhibits recovered included court judgments allegedly obtained by the suspect and several legal documents purportedly prepared by him, including powers of attorney and deeds of conveyance.

The command confirmed that the suspect had been charged to court.

Reacting to the development, the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, CP Hope Okafor, commended the investigating officers for exposing the alleged impersonation.

She urged residents to exercise caution when engaging individuals offering legal services and ensure that their professional qualifications are properly verified.

The commissioner further encouraged members of the public to report suspicious individuals and activities to the police to prevent unsuspecting citizens from falling victim to fraud.

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Crime

Political Violence: PDP Chairmen Storm Ebonyi, Warn Nwifuru To Leave Opposition Alone Or…

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By Our Reporter

The Forum of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Chairmen has called on President Bola Tinubu, security agencies and the international community to intervene in Ebonyi State over allegations of political intimidation, attacks, abductions, killings and restrictions on opposition activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The forum, led by its chairman, Austin Nwachukwu, made the call at a press conference in Abakaliki, where it accused Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration of creating an atmosphere of fear for opposition members.

The allegations were contained in a statement in which the forum expressed concern over the reported attacks on PDP leaders, candidates, executives and supporters, as well as the alleged destruction of property and unlawful detention of party members.

“No governor owns the state, no political party owns the people, and no public office holder or office confers a licence to intimidate, assault or silence citizens,” the forum declared.

It called on Nwifuru, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Security Adviser and President Tinubu to take urgent steps to protect lives, investigate the allegations and safeguard democratic participation in the state.

The forum alleged that the PDP state secretariat was sealed on May 25, 2026, following an order reportedly issued by the governor, with more than 150 security personnel deployed to cordon off the premises.

According to the group, the action prevented members of the party’s State Working Committee from accessing their offices.

It further alleged that the governor made threatening remarks against opposition members in June and September, including a reported directive to local government chairmen to deal harshly with the PDP.

The forum cited several incidents of alleged political violence, including an attack on PDP members attending a rally in Ezza South Local Government Area on August 1, which reportedly left 10 people critically injured.

It also alleged that the residence of a 73-year-old party leader, Chief Christopher Ngwuta, was attacked on August 4 during a consultative meeting.

The statement claimed that Ngwuta’s wife, Blessing, subsequently lost a four-month pregnancy following the incident.

Other incidents highlighted included an alleged attack on the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Ohanaivo Federal Constituency, Igboke Felix Ogbonna, and his aides on August 16, as well as the reported destruction of property belonging to PDP leader Arinze Oyibe in Abaomege on September 9.

The forum further alleged that armed men disrupted a PDP political and economic summit at Veneza Hotel in Abakaliki on September 19, injuring participants and robbing attendees of valuables.

It also expressed concern over the reported arrest and continued detention of the PDP State Woman Leader, Chinyere Nwele, on October 15.

The group urged the police to disclose the legal basis for her detention and ensure that due process was followed.

The forum also alleged that Jimo Guest House, owned by PDP youth leader Jimo Abu, was sealed by government agents on October 20, before Abu was reportedly abducted the following day.

According to the statement, Abu was allegedly forced at gunpoint to renounce his PDP membership and declare support for the governor.

The group called for an investigation into the reported attack on security personnel in Amaezekwe village, Ezza South Local Government Area, on October 22.

It also demanded an investigation into the alleged abduction and killing of Elder Onwe Obochi of Oshege village in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.

On the conduct of security agencies, the forum expressed dissatisfaction with what it described as the police response to complaints involving alleged attacks on opposition members.

It also raised questions about a reported accommodation arrangement involving the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police and Meritona Hotel in Abakaliki, which the forum alleged was owned by the governor.

The group acknowledged that the reported arrangement did not, in itself, establish wrongdoing but called for clarification to protect public confidence in the impartiality of the police.

The forum urged the Inspector-General of Police to establish an independent investigative team to examine the reported attacks, threats, abductions, killings, armed robbery and destruction of property.

It also called on the DSS to conduct an independent security assessment of the allegations and work with relevant agencies to prevent further attacks.

The National Security Adviser was urged to coordinate preventive measures and brief the Federal Government on the reported security concerns, while President Tinubu was asked to ensure impartial investigations and equal protection for citizens regardless of political affiliation.

The forum also appealed to the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), diplomatic missions and international human rights organisations to monitor credible reports of political violence and restrictions on democratic freedoms in Ebonyi.

On political activities, it alleged that some parties enjoyed access to public facilities while PDP gatherings faced restrictions, insisting that public authority should not be used to disadvantage opposition parties.

The group urged Nwifuru to publicly condemn political violence, clarify the alleged threats against PDP members, explain the legal basis for the reported sealing of the party secretariat and Jimo Guest House, and cooperate with independent investigations.

It maintained that anyone found culpable after a credible investigation should face the appropriate legal consequences, irrespective of political affiliation or official position.

The forum concluded by urging the PDP governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, to remain focused and continue engaging residents peacefully ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The allegations require independent investigation, and responses from the Ebonyi State Government and the relevant security agencies would be important in establishing the facts surrounding the reported incidents.

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Gunman Robs Female POS Operator of N200,000 in Enugu, Threatens Pursuers

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A 28-year-old suspected gunman allegedly robbed a female Point-of-Sale (POS) operator of N200,000 at gunpoint in Obollo-Afor, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, threatening to shoot anyone who attempted to pursue him.
The incident occurred at about 9 a.m. on October 17, 2026, at the victim’s POS shop along Old Orba Road, Uhulor, Obollo-Afor.
The suspect, identified as Michael Ayisa, reportedly stormed the business premises armed with a pistol and dispossessed the operator of N200,000 before fleeing the scene.
It was gathered that the victim raised an alarm during the robbery, attracting the attention of residents, but the suspect allegedly threatened to open fire on anyone who attempted to apprehend him.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said operatives of the Udenu Police Division, assisted by members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, subsequently launched an operation that led to the suspect’s arrest.
According to him, Ayisa was apprehended at about 12:26 p.m. on October 18, barely 28 hours after the robbery.
A Beretta-like pistol and an expended 9mm ammunition shell were recovered during the operation.
Ndukwe disclosed that the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation and would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has commended the operatives and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group for their roles in the arrest.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling armed robbery and other criminal activities across Enugu State, urging residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements to security agencies.
Clarify the Arrest Timeline
Tighten the Opening Paragraph
Use More Cautious Crime Wording

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