RRS Discovers Fake Embassy, Arrests Two Chinese

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command has discovered fake embassy operating in Lagos where many innocent members of the public had been swindled.

 The Policemen attached to the squad swooped on them; two Chinese and two Nigerians were apprehended during the raid on their office situated inside an hotel,  Golden Point and Suite, on Duduyemi Street in Ejigbo.

The Chinese: Liu Honyang, 47, Sun Xinai, 49; and their Nigerian collaborators, Oriyomi Olawale, 47 and Desmond Chinedu, 25,  conspired and swindled Nigerians who had planned  to travel out of the country to seek greener pastures.

It was gathered that the operatives acted on the intelligence reports received from members of the public about the illicit act of these Chinese using Nigeria citizens as cover.

Our sources revealed that the Policemen lodged in the hotel for two days monitoring their activities before eventual arrest.

After the arrest, some of their victims showed up at the RRS’s Headquarters, recounting how they were duped respectively, hence their deportation from Trinidad and Tobago.

According to one of the victims,   Adekunle Adefuye, “I met these people (suspects) through one of their agents, Dorcas Slyver. She is a daughter to my brother’s pastor in Abeokuta. I told her my intentions and zeal to travel to United States of America…. After a while, she told me to come to Lagos that she can procure the American visa for me…. On getting to Lagos, she took me to these Chinese where I was told that I should go to Trinidad and Tobago…. They persuaded me to go Trinidad and Tobago that it was easier to secure employment with at least 3,000 dollars as salary.”

He continued; “initially, I declined to take their bait, insisting that I preferred America to Trinidad and Tobago (T&T)…. But in the long run, they brainwashed me into agreeing to go to Trinidad and Tobago. It was at this point, I was told that I would pay N1.3 million for the whole process including visa processing and flight fare…. The payment was made in installment. N376,000 for Visa, ticket N850,000, accommodation N39,000 and Visa Fee N33,000, which I obliged and paid all the monies into Dorcas’ GTB Accounts: 0130671906.”

He revealed that he and another person were rounded up immediately they got to Trinidad and Tobago by the country’s immigration officers for coming into the country with fake visas.

 

"We spent two days underground inside the Police custody. They treated us like criminals trying to enter the country illegally," he added.

"We left Lagos enroute Lome on October 19th, 2016. From Lome to Sao Paulo in Brazil. From there, we moved to Panama where we boarded another plane to Trinidad and Tobago…. On getting to the country, we were arrested by their security operatives accusing us of entering their country with fake visa and documents…. We were locked up for 48 hours before we were deported on October 22nd, 2016 and arrived Nigeria the following day,” he added.

Adefuye stressed, “When we arrived Nigeria, we didn’t let them know we have been deported. They thought possibly we were lucky to have entered the T&T without any challenge.

It was one Good Samaritan that came to our rescue in Trinidad and Tobago, who pleaded for us when they threatened to prosecute us before we were sent back to Nigeria.

On his part, Rasheed Ololade, said that it was same agent, Dorcas Sylver, who persuaded him to go to T&T too, adding that all the money he paid amounted to N1.3M into her account.

“I met Adefuye at their office in Golden Point Hotel and Suites, Ejigbo in Lagos. And we became good friends henceforth…. We were only fortunate to have escaped being jailed in T&T for coming into the country with fake documents and Visas…. They beat hell out of us and starved us for the whole two days before fortune smiled at us. The Police in T and T collected all our belongings including money and threatened to kill us. In fact, they were abusing Nigerians calling us unprinted names…. In fact, we were lucky to have been deported because that country is a junkyard for drug addicts and dealers,” he lamented.

“Most of the Nigerians we met there were barely recognisable, and were high on drugs…. One of them, confided in me that he was struggling to survive by dealing in drug and that he has resorted to fate, since coming home was difficult," he added.

Another victim, Friday Owah, who was at their office when they were arrested, said that he just paid N600,000 after being convinced to jettison his Europe trip for Trinindad & Tobago.

According to him, “I was introduced to them by one man, Mr Oscar. I paid directly to Madam Sun’s GT Bank account…. She promised to secure the visa for me within a space of two weeks. By the time the visa was ready, I was unable to eke-out another N850,000 for flight ticket, which made the T&T visa to get expired…. I went back to see her to help me again for same visa. And she told me to pay another N150, 000. It was after I had made another payment of N150,000 to her account that someone told me they don’t accept stamp visa but only electronic visa is allowed in that country.”

“I went back to explain to her but she denied the information but still insisted that stamp visa is acceptable in that country…. Then, I told her that I was no longer interested in T&T and she should return my money. I came to their office that fateful day to demand for the money when the Rapid Response Squad team came to arrest them,” he added.

Another victim, Lukmon Odeyemi, a footballer by profession, also parted away with N125, 000 for Trinidad and Tobago’s en route visa.

“The lady (Sun Xinai) charged me N400, 000 but I was only able to raise N125,000 to her with the hope of balancing her by month end,” he noted.

In his reaction, Liu Hongyag, one of the arrested suspects, said that he only helped her boss to do paper works and documents.

"We operated as separate entity as travel agency under the company's name, Golden Point Hotel and Tour but our office is located inside the hotel…. Sun Xinai  is my sister,  and she is the director of the travel agency.  I only do paper works and documents for visa procurement…. I don’t know how she secures visa for people. All what I know is that she travels to Abuja and comes back with that stamped visa. I am a phone repairer,” he stressed.

Our source posited that investigation has further revealed that the Trinidad and Tobago’s Embassy has confirmed the Visa fake and the two Chinese agents unknown.

But Sun Xinai, the major suspect, noted that she was unaware that stamped visa for Trindad and Tobago was no longer tenable in that country anymore.

Responding to RRS's visa enquiry, the High Commission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in its letter dated 7th December, 2016, referenced ABJ: 6/2/3/14, read in part:

"...the Mission can categorically confirm that the individual SUN XINAI who is claiming to be an agent of this Mission is unknown to us…. Furthermore, this Mission does not use the services of an 'agent' in any capacity whatsoever and has never done so in the past either…. With regard to the authenticity of the attached visas, the Mission can also categorically confirm that those visas were not issued at this High Commission and are clearly fraudulent…. Noteworthy too is the fact that in June 2015, this Mission stopped the practice of issuing stamped visas in passports in favour of individual electronic visas issued from our country's capital Port of Spain.” 

The letter was signed by Garth Lamsee, Acting High Commissioner

Items recovered from them during the raid were 25 international passports, 10 laptops, screw driver, 5 phones and paper documents.

While confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer of Lagos State, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, said that Police will not rest on its oars in protecting rights of any individual in the country. She said that the Police are on manhunt for all their agents and canvassers.

  

"I will also use this medium to advise the public to be wary of visa agents and anyone who wishes to travel out of the country should direct their applications to the Embassies," she added.

 All the suspects have since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

Operatives of Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), with their patrol vehicle during a fleet parade to mark one year of Re-branding of RRS by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos on Tuesday.

L-R: Ops 1, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), DSP Akinwunmi Oke; Executive Secretary, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr. Razak Balogun; Commander RRS, ACP Olatunji Disu and RRS Ops II, ASP. Okechuckwu Nnakwe during a fleet parade to mark one year of Re-branding RRS by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos on Tuesday.

Ambode Raises Police Death Insurance Benefit To N10m

…Presents Additional 3 Operational Vehicles, 45 Power Bikes To RRS

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday announced an increment to the death insurance benefit for police officers who die in active service to the State to N10 million, saying that his administration would stop at nothing to ensure the safety of all citizens in the State.

Governor Ambode, who spoke at Lagos House in Ikeja, after he was presented with two awards recently won in South Africa by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the State Police Command, said security and safety of the people remains one of the focal objectives of his administration, and that Government would continually embrace measures to motivate and encourage officers of the Command to perform their duties diligently.

The RRS, at the awards presented by Security Watch Africa (SWA), had emerged as the best anti-crime police squad in West Africa, while the RRS Commander, Olatunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, won the award of most outstanding police operational officer in Africa.

The State Government also bagged award as the best security and most safety conscious state in Africa.

Speaking after receiving the awards, Governor Ambode congratulated the Commander and men of the RRS for the feat, saying that the people of the State were appreciative of the gallant efforts of the unit at bringing down crime rate in the State, especially in the last one year.

The Governor also commended the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni for his purposeful leadership of the Command, saying that it was evident that the Police in Lagos was performing creditably well.

While alluding to the need for increment in the death insurance benefit of officers, Governor Ambode recalled the recent lost of some officers in active service, adding that while government was not praying for the re-occurrence of such, it was appropriate to reasonably reward the family of any officer in the event of eventual death.

The Governor therefore said his administration was raising the stake of death insurance policy from N1 million to rank and file and N2 million to senior officers to N10 million.

He said: “Recently, we lost some police officer due to no fault of theirs and then some form of accidental incidences across the State.

“I have directed the State’s Pension Office and the Office of the Chief of Staff that we are going to increase the payment that we make to officers that die in active service and then we are increasing that irrespective of whether you are a junior or senior office, if you die in active service, the payment that will be made by the State Government is being increased to N10 million from this moment onward,” he said.

As one of the ways of appreciating and motivating the Command, Governor Ambode also presented additional three patrol vehicles and 45 power bikes to the RRS.

The Governor, while reiterating the commitment of the State Government to the security and well-being of residents, also directed the police to ensure hitch-free yuletide celebration across the State.

He said the government, by the donation, was also sending a strong signal to those who are always willing to disturb the peace that there is no room for them in the State.

Responding to the gesture, the RRS Commander, Mr. Olatunji Disu, said the equipment given to them by the State Government would further spur them to give their best towards protecting the lives and property of residents.

RRS Nabs Internet Fraudsters

For the second time in less than a month, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of Lagos State Police Command have arrested three people for being members of an internet fraud gang that swindled a property dealer in Lagos State the sum of N3.8 million while posing as a client.

The suspects, Olisa Oyegbuka, 28; Ifeannacho Kingsley, 27 and Ujumwa Aniemena, 33, were all arrested on Wednesday, 30th November, 2016 in Akwa, Anambra State.

The suspects are part of the internet fraudsters that specialised in hacking into email addresses and using them to send messages seeking transfer of funds in tranches to different accounts.

Unlike the present gang, the other gang, comprising of four young men were arrested in Onitsha for hacking into the email account of the CEO of a popular lotto company based in Lagos, and sought the transfer of five million naira cumulatively into four separate accounts.

According to the Lagos based estate agent, name withheld, “I received an email (withheld) giving payment instructions.

 The owner of the email address is my client. It gave payment instructions to transfer funds in my custody to an account belonging to one Emmanuel Ajinubi with First bank Account No. 3046974892.

The first transfer of N800,000 was on 24th October, 2016. On 27th October, 2016, there was another instruction to transfer N530,000 to same account.

On 1st November, 2016, I transferred N720, 000 into Ifenancho Kingsley, First Bank, Account 3050290672 and further instruction the following day of N850,000 to same account.

The total amount transferred into the two accounts was N3, 820,000.

Just after the payment on 2nd November, my client called me that was when we realised that the payment instructions did not emanate from him, rather, it was made by fraudsters,” he explained.

One of the suspect whose account was used during the transfer, Ifeanacho Kingsley, admitted that two separate transactions of N720,000 and N850,000 were transferred into his account, adding that, a family friend, Chinedu Emmanuel, had requested for his account details and thereafter took his ATM card and PIN to withdraw the money.

“The first alert of N720,000, I got on my phone, but within a twinkle of an eye, the money was wiped from my account.

The following day, I got another alert of N850, 000. Almost instantly, there were lots of POS transactions bearing “Grand POS” Asaba.

Since then, I have not seen him and I don’t know the kind of job he does. As I talk to you, my ATM card is still with him.

Another suspect, Olisa Oyegbuka told investigators that his friend, Egbuka, who was arrested by RRS few weeks earlier, was the one who used his account to funnel N800, 000 into a Fidelity Bank Account belonging to one Tamino.

RRS investigators added that efforts are still on-going to arrest other members of the gangs who they believed are directly involved in the hacking into of some corporate and individuals’ email for fraudulent purposes.

Responding to the incident, the Police PPRO, SP Dolapo Badmos, warned criminals using other states as a base to perpetuate crime in Lagos that the Command would get them from their hideouts.

The three suspects have been transferred to SCID for further investigations.

RRS Recovers N1.548m Robbery Loot

RRS operatives have arrested two suspects for stuffing N1.548m abandoned robbery loot into their private parts.

The suspects, Adegoke Adewale and Ganiy Idowu, were arrested this evening when they were caught tucking into their private parts loots abandoned by fleeing robbers.

The suspects, among other miscreants, had pretended they were helping the police in chasing 3 armed robbers who snatched about N3M from a yet to be identified bank customer in Oshodi.

The robbers after being chased by the police dropped their loot in a compound, which the suspects stole and stuffed into their private parts.

The suspects as well as the recovered loot have been transferred to Makinde Police Station in Oshodi.

Also recovered along with the loot were 3 cheque booklets of Diamond and Zenith Banks, several signed cheques and counter signed cheque leaves.

Lagos Uncovers Diesel Adulterating Factory

Lagos State Government has arrested over 20 suspects who specialised in adulterating diesel with kerosene and black oil in order to multiply its yields.

The suspects were arrested this morning underneath Oregun-Opebi Link Bridge, behind Welfare Bus Stop, Oregun Ikeja, when officials of the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce and government officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Lands stormed their hideout.

The suspects, according to sources, buy several litres of diesel, mixing it with several litres of kerosene and black oil, then sift the dirt out before distributing in smaller quantities to companies, filling stations and other direct buyers.

The sources, who declined to mention their names to press, disclosed that several individuals are involved in the business, with strong financial links.

“That is why you can see several tanks as reservoirs and drums. The least you can see here, amongst the tanks is 30,000 litres. And there are over 12 of such here…. Look at the fleet of buses and trucks for distribution. The supply is constant. They get request for supply almost every now and then," he added.

Some of the suspects, according to police officials who were at the scene early enough, were caught mixing diesel with black oil and kerosene and transferring it into a red Ford bus with registration number KJA 201 XP for supply.

Items seized from the operators included, 13 tankers, 13 distribution buses, 17 storage tanks, over 100 drums, pumping machines, etc.

Commenting on the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Owoseni stated that the activities of the suspects were deplorable and that the police would investigate thoroughly with the hope of bringing the perpetrators to justice.