Security
NPF In Action 1: Nigeria Police Squashed Ponzi scheme operator in Cross River
Nigeria Police Squashed Ponzi scheme operator over N900m fraud in C’ River
Nigeria Police Squashed Ponzi Scheme Operators – The Zone Six police headquarters, in Calabar, Cross River State, has arrested one of the two Swiss Gold Ponzi scheme operators, Mrs. Lizzy Efa, just as Micheno Multipurpose Cooperative Society (MMCS) operator, Michael Eke, is on the run.
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STILL ON Nigeria Police Squashed Ponzi scheme operator over N900m fraud in C’ River
The two Ponzi operators were said to have defrauded innocent investors several millions of Naira, prompting series of petitions against her business to security operatives across the state.
Operatives of the Zonal Police Headquarters arrested Efa at the border between Nigeria and Cameroon at Bakassi axis while trying to leave to country as she had allegedly raked in about a billion Naira, while Micheno’s Michael Eke is currently on the run.
It was a carnival of sort shortly after her arrest by a Special Anti–Robbery Squad, as ‘investors’ in the ponzi scheme trooped to the zonal police headquarters at Murtala Mohammed Highway, Calabar, to take a look at her while they demanded for their money.
It was learnt that Mrs. Efa has been on the run for over two months following her inability to meet up with payment on return-on-investment owed hundreds of investors into the scheme.
At the Zone Six command, investors demanded that the matter be transferred to EFCC saying that they do not have confidence in the police.
Confirming the arrest, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (ZPRO), Nelson Ukpabi, said Mrs. Efa was in their custody and investigation was on going.
He said: “I saw a mammoth crowd yesterday evening and I inquired what was going on.
“I was told a lady involved in Swiss Gold Ponzi scheme was just arrested and the people who she did business with were trying to see her. She will be charged to court as soon as possible but investigations are ongoing.”
One of the investors and an aide to Governor Ben Ayade, who did not want her name in prints said, “I am finished. I invested N7 million in this scheme believing it was real. Today, I now know it is total fraud.”
A trader at What, who simply gave her name as Mrs. Nkeruwem Bassey, 47, said, “I collected my N700, 000 Osusu contribution and invested all at Efa’s company hoping to get my return-on-investment and go for December market and then later pay back.”
Another investor, who pleaded anonymity, said: “We had lodged our petition to the EFCC, over the huge funds we paid into the scheme. My wife and I, for instance mopped about N11.5m from our small businesses and lumped into the scheme.”
Efa’s Swiss Gold marketing outfit is said to be a breakaway from another group and she was initially arrested but the police released her as she promised to pay after soon.
Micheno’s Michael Eke is said to be at large as investors are also on his trail to get their investment back.
Daily Sun checks further revealed that Eke was earlier arrested by the police but a business man who had invested a fortune in the scam, provided surety for him and the police granted him bail.
Since then hundreds of investors have been looking for him at east to recoup their initial capital and ready to forgo the return-on-investment.
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Customs Corner
Customs Collaborates with Defence Intelligence Agency for Enhanced Security
Author: Abra Iruoghene and Muhammad Bashir.
The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, had a collaborative meeting with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on February 19, 2024, at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Corporate Headquarters to promote security and forge strong working relations.
The CGC, while speaking, noted that the primary objective of the collaboration is to maintain and deepen the existing relationships between NCS and the DIA. He emphasized that NCS believes in partnership, stating that cooperation with other Customs administrations and government agencies is a fundamental aspect of growth.
The CGC highlighted some ways in which they have collaborated, particularly in the areas of capacity building and security projects.
“The major objective of this delegation is to maintain and deepen the relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and the DIA. For the records, the Nigeria Customs Service believes in collaboration. We believe that we can draw strength from collaborating with other government agencies,” he stated.
“We’ve extensively worked with the Armed Forces Command and Staff College to rebuild the capacity of our officers in the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College. Additionally, I’ve personally worked on collaborative security projects in the past, such as the Security Impact Collaboration,” he added.
The Comptroller-General of Customs expressed a desire for deeper partnership with the DIA, particularly in the area of more robust intelligence sharing, which, according to him, would enable the two agencies to address significant security challenges across the border areas and enhance the efficiency of Customs officers.
“It is our strong desire to deepen this kind of partnership to ensure that we benefit more from it,” he said.
Addressing the CGC, Air Vice Marshal Samuel Chinda, Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence who represented Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Parker, described the collaboration with the NCS as integral to their successes in combating border threats.
Speaking on the need to include officers in various intelligence training, AVM Chinda recalled how the Nigerian Armed Forces Command and Staff College contributed to enhancing the proficiency of Customs Officers.
“We are here to reinvigorate these relationships for future collaborations. Particularly, the Defence Intelligence Agency is open to partnerships in training and operations with the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.
Customs Corner
Nigeria Customs Service, WASP Collaborate for Enhanced Trade Security
Author: Iruoghene Abra.
The Nigeria Customs Service has, on Tuesday 13 February, 2024 initiated an engagement with the West Africa Security Project (WASP) to acquaint officers on security awareness for effective trade facilitation and effective border security.
Addressing the delegates of the West Africa Security Project during a meeting at the Customs Corporate Headquarters, Abuja, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR described the project as a medium that will benefit officers of the Service in the area of curbing smuggling and illegal trafficking of substances.
The CGC, who supported the collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and WASP, also described the initiative as great chance for officers to perform security duties.
CGC Bashir outlined some of the benefits of the program to encompass; cargo profiling, small arms and light weapon handling, global shield programs which deals with chemicals and radioactive elements, to share resources with stakeholders for synergy, amongst others.
According to CGC, “there is an existing project managed by the world bank that looks at the Lagos-Abidjan corridor whose aim is to promote trade facilition. Bringing in this new project that looks at the security aspect will boost our performances and potent a lot of opportunities for us.”
He added “We will be able to account for 60% of the GDP if we are able to cooperate effectively. This project requires the cooperation and collaboration of all the Customs administrations involved”.
Furthermore the CGC said that the program also entails field officers brainstorming and exchanging ideas. According to him, it will help officer know convergence of smuggling route to minimize smuggling and trafficking activities.
The project manager of West Africa Security Project (WASP) Terry Wall, outlined some of the benefits of the program to include; identification of high risk cargo, provision of training of national Customs Enforcement Network (nCEN), delivery of refresher training in the use of Customs Enforcement Network (CEN), joint activity to deliver GEOSPATIAL intelligence and High Level End-of-Project Evaluation with the donor.
Customs Corner
Nigeria Customs Service Secures Conviction of 2 for Assault on Officers
…As Smugglers Sentenced to 2 Years Imprisonment with Hard Labour
Author: Lucy Nyambi.
The Nigeria Customs Service has successfully secured the conviction of two smugglers, identified as Felarun Oluwasegun and Fakorede Jelili, on Tuesday, 6 February 2024, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In a press release signed on Sunday, 11 February 2024, by the spokesman of the service, Chief Superintendent of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada stated that the conviction stemmed from their involvement in assembling to contravene Customs Laws, possession of smuggled goods and assaulting Customs Officers with charms and horsewhips at Owoyele-Igbogila, Yewa-North Local Government, Ogun State.
Abdullahi Maiwada stated that one Felarun and Jelili were sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour without an option of fine by Honourable Justice Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, asserted that, “11 suspects were convicted for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export, while some other smuggling and related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently”.
“Recall that Felarun Oluwasegun and Fakorede Jelili were first arraigned in Court in May 2023 on a three-count charge and have been remanded at the correctional centre in Abeokuta since then until their recent conviction”. He stated.
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