3 Suspects nabbed for Cyber fraud in Lagos

It’s been a struggle between the authorities and cyber criminals for a while now in Nigeria, with the latest reports coming of an attempted cyber attack in Lagos prevented after proactive actions by the Police.

This was confirmed by Police spokesperson, SP Eyitayo Johnson, who disclosed in a statement, that the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Nneka Anyasinti had acted on intelligence received from a leading new generation bank, on March 30, 2022, to arrest cyber suspects.

Johnson revealed the suspects were in the later stages of recruiting a worker from the I. T department of one of the banks in order to perfect the hacking of the banks’ system to pull out huge sums of money.

The Officer noted that the suspects were arrested with incriminating evidence during a meeting held with the bank worker they had attempted to recruit.

He added that the fourth suspect, Chibuzor Holland, who had flown into the country from France specifically for the operation, had evaded capture.

He said:

“The arrested members of the syndicate include Kehinde Oladimeji, 52, the mastermind; Olanrewaju Adeshina, 47; and Kolapo Abiodun, 42. Kolapo Abiodun is an ex-staff of the bank attached to the infotech department. He contacted and attempted to recruit a current worker of the bank’s infotech department with an offer of N200m and a visa out of Nigeria.

“The worker was asked to leave critical gateways open on the bank’s server for the syndicate to gain unauthorised access into the network and move money out using Python application and Zoom. After the arrests, forensic analysis of phones and electronic devices found in their possession disclosed a list of 10 other banks already earmarked to be hacked using a similar method once the first attack is successful.

“Operatives also discovered personal and corporate bank account details in the possession of the syndicate which they ought not to have. The case, charge no. FHC/L/238C/2022, is currently being prosecuted before Honourable Justice P.O. Lifu of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, while effort is in top gear to apprehend Chibuzor Holland.”

In relation to the case, the police were able to arrest the Managing Director of Beedel Strategic Investment Co. Nigeria Limited, Moses Odeleye, over a fraud of N816m, which came as a result of the investigations carried out by the Police.

The Police spokesperson revealed that Odeleye was arrested in connection with the forgery of 11 local purchase orders of 5 multinational companies that operated in Nigeria and one agency of the Federal Government.