The Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police has arrested two men, who allegedly specialise in hacking into bank customers’ accounts.

The Zonal Public Relations Officer, SP Hauwa Idris-Adamu, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.


Idris-Adamu said that the arrest followed a petition received from a bank by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the Zone comprising Lagos and Ogun, Mr Mohammed Ali.

“On the 8th of May 2023, a petition was submitted by United Bank for Africa (UBA) to the AIG that there are some syndicates that specialise on internet fraud of various banks in Nigeria, most especially United Bank for Africa (UBA).

“They hack into customers accounts and move their money.

“Based on the petition, the AIG raised a team of detectives from the Zonal Monitoring Unit, which swung into action with the aid of modern technology.

“The two suspects were tracked down at their hideout at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State,” she said.

According to the official, the suspects confessed to the crime.

“They confessed that they had many syndicates all over Nigeria and that they used software to hack into customers’ accounts and move their money undetected from any bank.

“The modus operandi of these fraudsters is to have a customer’s BVN-linked phone number for easy transfer of money.

“Consequently, over 1,000 customers’ accounts have been hacked and the customers defrauded across the country,” she said.

She said that further investigation into the incident revealed that members of the syndicates were from different parts of the country.

She said that efforts were being intensified to arrest all those connected with the crime.

According to her, investigation is ongoing while the suspects will be arraigned on completion of investigation. (NAN)

NNPC Limited has disclosed it plans to invest into a Maiduguri based start-up company that is into renewables and electric vehicles.

The company explained that the move would boost its footprint in the renewable energy space and help Nigeria in reducing its carbon emissions.


The Managing Director of NNPC New Energy Limited, Kanachukwu Odoe who disclosed this in an interview contained in the NNPC Quarterly Magazine, said the company plans to install charging point facilities in all its retail outlets across the country.


Odoe noted that although renewables are not yet a big deal in the country, it will be the energy of the future.

He said: “On Electric Vehicles, there are two things we are looking at.

There is a start-up from Maiduguri that is into renewables and Electric Vehicles. It’s a Nigerian start-up. We are currently discussing with them to expand their capacity to meet local demand in Nigeria.

“It’s something l believe we should invest in not just because it’s our own, but also because they are doing something that hasn’t been done before, at least, in this part of the world. So, when we invest in the company, we can have a foothold in the electric vehicles market.

“The next part will be how to provide access to charging ports for the electric vehicles We have NNPC Retail stations scattered around Nigeria, we are currently having a discussion on how to install charging points in the stations to serve electric vehicles”, he added.

He observed that “on capacity expansion with respect to renewable energy, you know that there is a gap in the power sector with regards to electricity supply, particularly in the rural areas. We must be able to meet that demand by developing capacity to provide power to those in the rural areas with renewable energy sources like solar”.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has slammed a three-year ban against Mmesoma Ejikeme, the examination candidate who allegedly falsely inflated her exam scores.

It insisted that the result being paraded by the student is fake and that its system cannot be compromised.

The board made this known in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin on Tuesday.

Ejikeme shared a video to social media on Monday, stating that the result in question is not forged and that she rightfully obtained the score of 362 as she has always been a brilliant student.

The JAMB spokesman however, said the video was stage-managed and that Ejikeme revealed the rightful owner of the result when she said that the QR code on the result slip showed the actual owner of the said result.

“To witness the unassailable position of the Board regarding this obvious falsehood, the general public is, therefore, urged to endeavour to scan the QR code on the result slip to see its actual owner before it was mutilated”, the board stated.

“It is to be noted that the QR code encapsulates the UTME result of each candidate, hence, what is on the result sheet is nothing other than the interpretation of the information on this QR code.

“Similarly, the public is also invited to ponder on the fact that out of all the candidates that sat the 2023 UTME, only Ms. Ejikeme Mmesoma parades the obsolete ‘Notification of Result.’

“The board remains unperturbed by this unfortunate development as this is not the first time such fraudulent claims have been made. As such, Nigerians are urged to recall numerous occasions where the Board was sued for billions of naira only for the lawyers to later apologise profusely for their clients’ misadventure,” the statement read.

The board then said that it has barred her from sitting the examination for the next three years, in line with its established procedures, and has withdrawn her 2023 UTME result.

JAMB stated that the case has been handed over to security agencies for proper investigation, adding that “the truth would manifest and the Board vindicated.”

Osun State Police Command on Monday threatened to sanction any of its officers attached to public officeholders caught carrying out domestic duties for their principals.

The Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, who disclosed this in a statement released in Osogbo, stated that whosoever found with the act would be punished accordingly, adding that the era of police orderlies carrying handbags, umbrellas and opening of gates, amongst other menial duties for their principals had gone.

The statement reads: “The command is miffed with consternation the way and manner government officials and personalities use police orderlies attached to them for domestic duties, such as carrying handbags, umbrellas and opening of gates, amongst other menial duties.”


“The command, therefore, warns police officers attached to these officials to stop carrying out or serving purposes other than protecting their principals from security threats. ”

“Such behaviour is highly unethical, unprofessional and would attract appropriate sanctions against erring police personnel.”

“Government officials are therefore enjoined to employ the services of domestic staff and personal assistants to carry out such services”

“Police officers attached to government officials are to protect their lives and property and not to serve as their domestic workers,” she added.

APC tenders  evidence, as INEC closed case

 

 

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Monday admitted as exhibit the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the final report of the European Union Election Observer Mission, which faulted the conduct and outcome of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.

The report, tendered by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his party were admitted as exhibited by the court, despite the objection by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who are listed as respondents along with INEC in the petition challenging Tinubu’s election.

The European Union election observer mission had, in the report, claimed that there was no credibility and transparency in the way and manner the February 25, 2023, presidential election was conducted.

The report tendered through INEC’s sole witness and Director of Information Technology (IT) of the Commission, Dr Lawrence Bayode, said only 31 per cent of the presidential election result was uploaded into INEC’s results viewing portal.

In his evidence in-chief, Dr Bayode admitted that INEC has no electronic collation system and agreed that there was no electronic collation of the presidential election results.

The INEC’s witness admitted that the Presidential election results were collated manually by the electoral body’s presiding officers.

Under cross-examination by Atiku Abubakar’s lead Counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), the witness admitted that not all the presidential election results were uploaded into the INEC’s results viewing centre as of March 1, 2023, when INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood declared and returned Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Under cross-examination by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), lead Counsel to President Tinubu, the witness told the court that form EC8A formed the basis of the election results and that data and network service were required for the upload of the images of the results captured by the Biomodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machine into INEC’s results viewing portal.


He further testified that images captured on BVAS, whether transmitted electronically or manually, will not affect the integrity of the election, especially when results entered into form EC8As are announced to the hearing and knowledge of party agents.

Also under cross-examination by the lead counsel to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the witness admitted that the technical glitches experienced during the presidential election did not affect the actual scores of candidates at the election, as the results remain intact.

Fagbemi asked the witness if he was aware that, three days before the presidential election, INEC came out to say that electronic transmission of results would not be visible, the witness answered in the affirmative and his (Witness) attention was drawn to Thursday, February 23, 2023 edition of the Nigerian Tribune which carried INEC’s announcement of its inability to collate the election results electronically.

Through its counsel, the APC tendered the Tribune newspaper publication as evidence in defence of the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

With one witness and four documents tendered, INEC closed its defence in the petition filed by the former vice president and his party against the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Tinubu will open his case on Tuesday, June 4, to defend his victory in the February 25 presidential election.

Barring last-minute changes, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas will on resumption of legislative activities on Tuesday announce the names of the Principal Officers.

Before embarking on the Sallah recess, Speaker Abbas announced members of the Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee is to be chaired by the Speaker while Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu is to serve as the Deputy Chairman.


According to the Speaker, each of the 36 State and FCT Caucuses is expected to nominate one of their members as member of the Selection Committee.

As stipulated in the 10th edition of the Standing Order, the Selection Committee is responsible for the nomination of Chairmen of various Standing Committees.

Members of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) penciled down as members of the Body of Principal Officers are: Hon. Julius Ihovbere as Majority Leader.

It was also gathered Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Abubakar Halims (APC-Kogi), Chief Whip – Usman Kumo (APC-Gombe). However, the South West lawmaker nominated for the position of Deputy Chief Whip cannot be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

For the Minority Caucus, Hon. Kingsley Chinda was adopted as the Minority Leader, while Hon. George Ozodinobi (Labour Party – Anambra) was nominated as Deputy Minority Leader.


It be recalled that the PDP Caucus via a statement issued after the inauguration of the 10th Assembly had adopted Hon. Ali Isa (PDP – Gombe) as the Minority Whip.

Anambra State Government has instituted a panel of inquiry into the controversy trailing the highest scorer in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, a 16-year-old student of Anglican Girls secondary school in Nnewi, had earlier been announced to have scored 362 as the highest.

JAMB, however, in a press release on Sunday night, dismissed her result as fake, saying it was manipulated and that she would be prosecuted for it.

A press release by the Anambra State Ministry of Education and signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, stated that the investigation would unravel the truth about how Miss Ejikeme got her result.

Part of the release read: “Education Commissioner, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh regretted that the development was very embarrassing, coming at a time when the Soludo-led administration is repositioning in her avowed determination to get education right in the State.

“Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government will continue to celebrate Nkechinyere Umeh, who was declared the highest by JAMB, having scored a cummulative mark of 360, while security agents are investigating the allegation of falsification of result levelled against Ejikeme Mmesoma, who had earlier been showcased in the social media as having scored the highest.”

A former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Sani Yerima, has renewed his advocacy for dialogue with bandits.

He spoke on Monday while fielding questions from State House reporters after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Yerima said though the federal government possessed the capacity to contain banditry decisively, it was the government at the centre that championed the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s successful negotiation with militants in the Niger Delta region.

The former governor said dialogue was necessary to avoid collateral damage and recalled that World War I and World War II were resolved on the negotiation tables.

He emphasised that negotiations were an integral part of governance and that they should be pursued before resorting to extensive military operations.

He said poverty and ignorance were root causes of conflicts and proposed rehabilitation programmes as a means to integrate the bandits back into society.

He said poverty and ignorance were prevalent among the bandits and advocated education and poverty alleviation programmes to address the root causes of their actions.

On the concerns raised about the plight of victims affected by bandits’ activities, he said he was proposing a solution for the overall Nigerian crisis and not advocating for the bandits.


He stressed the importance of giving Nigerians the opportunity to repent, be rehabilitated, and reintegrated into society.

He restated his confidence in the government’s capacity, with adequate resources and support, to address the security challenges if negotiations failed.

The pipeline contractors operating in Bayelsa State have uncovered a total of nine illegal refineries sites with a combined total daily production estimated to be more than one million barrels per day (bpd), in three communities in Bayelsa State.

The discovery was made possible through the efforts of security operatives in the ongoing war against crude oil theft and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region.

The illegal refineries commonly called ‘Kpofire’ in local parlance in the state were uncovered in Okordia, Zarama, Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area, and the boundary communities of Ibelebiri and Otuege(Agba) in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.


Speaking with journalists at the site of one of the busted illegal refineries located 8 kilometres inside the swamp forest of Zarama Clan, the Spokesman and Mobilisation Officer of Daven Oil and Security Enterprises, Comrade Okardi Yogo, said a total number of nine sites have so far been uncovered during the operation.

A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has called for an independent investigation regarding the alleged forged results of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, Ejikeme Mmesoma.

Ejikeme was accused by the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) of falsely inflating her scores to receive a N3 million scholarship from Innoson Motors.

However, the student cried out in protest in a video stating that she has always been a brilliant girl and she is incapable of falsifying her results.

Ezekwesili added that she has already reached out to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

“This saga between Mmesoma Ejikeme and @JAMBHQ requires an Independent Tech investigation to unearth all facts. Listening to her in this video, it is reasonable to request a forensic investigation to help reveal what really happened. I have reached out to the Registrar of JAMB,” she tweeted.

In the video, Ejikeme can be seen holding up a result sheet while stating that, that is her result as printed from the JAMB portal, with the aggregate score of 362.

“I am the owner of this result. I went to the JAMB portal to print this result and this is what they gave me, this is the result here. So, this is my aggregate; 362, this is exactly how I printed it. Saying that I forged my result is what I don’t know and I am traumatized that they accused me of forging my own results because I am not capable of this.”

“They scanned the QR code and said it showed another name (Omotola Afolabi 138) and that same person that got 138, they checked again the person got 338, meaning that there is a problem somewhere,” she said.

She narrated how she went to the office of the Commissioner of Education with her school principal, where the result was sent to JAMB officials for verification.

It was then reported back that her result was fake, after which officials from the Department of State Services (DSS) called her to their offices.

“My principal and I went to the Commissioner of Education’s office last Friday. We showed the result to the commissioner of education and she snapped it and sent it to the JAMB officials. They called back saying it is a forged result. They called the DSS over to their office. The DSS took us to their office and we made our statement. They said we would be contacted later after investigating the result where it came from.

“Instead of them to wait for the investigation to be over, they posted that I forged my result without confirming. I’m really sad. Since my nursery school, I have been taking first. I scored over 300 in my common entrance. I’m a brilliant girl. I am not an illiterate that would forge results,” she lamented.

THE WHISTLER reported earlier today that the Head of Corporate Communications at Innoson Group, Cornel Osigwe, faulted JAMB for claiming the student’s results were fake.

“That girl was one of the most brilliant in her school, according to the Principal, her parents couldn’t even afford to pay for her WAEC and NECO Exams. Of what advantage will it offer her to manipulate her JAMB score? Let the poor breathe, please.

“The girl I met doesn’t have the brain and capacity to manipulate her result. There is more to this story. A proper investigation needs to be done,” he tweeted.