…Cyber centre unit arrests 3 suspects in Ibadan
By Hassan Zaggi
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has called on users of online banking platforms in the country to be vigilant with regard to their personal information.
This is even as the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has arrested three suspects including Sanmi Ayodeji, Felix Oluwaseun, and Adeleye Oluwaseun, aged 29, 24, and 32 years respectfully.
They were arrested for unlawful access to a computer network and manipulation of a point of sale (POS) network to defraud the unsuspecting owner of the total sum of N16,149,195.00.
In a statement signed by the Force Spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the IGP urged all citizens and residents in the country, whom he described as stakeholders in ensuring maximum security, to report all suspicious cyber activities via 09168343711, interpolnigeria@npf.gov.ng or on the NPF Cybercrime Reporting Portal – https://incb.npf.gov.ng/.
The statement explained that the three suspects signed up on a Point Of Sale (POS) platform known as Tmoni Technologies Company using their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and those of their friends and relatives without their consent.
They proceeded to open valid wallet accounts with Tmoni, manipulated the company network security system, and fraudulently transferred funds to the tune of N16.1m from the Tmoni platform to various online accounts from where they made subsequent withdrawals.
The suspects, according to the statement, were eventually arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, by operatives of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre, after an official complaint was lodged by the financial controller of the Tmoni platform.
Upon their arrest and interrogation, the suspects were found in possession of several mobile phones, POS machines, SIM cards, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards, and one Toyota Matrix car with registration no. KUJ 548 CN which they confessed was bought with proceeds of the crime.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre is an innovation of the IGP Usman Alkali Baba-led management team in an effort to effectively tackle cybercrime offences.
The innovation led to the reorganization of all cybercrime units of the Force which has recorded salient achievements in less than one month from the commencement of operations under the purview of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo.
