By Ojomah Austin.

A 30-year-old internet fraudster, known locally as a “Yahoo Boy,” have been apprehended while attempting to rob and potentially kill a hookup girl at an Abuja hotel, has confessed to luring and robbing four other victims he met through dating sites before being caught by a team from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The suspect, Joseph Efe, who hails from Edo and Ondo States, was arrested at Top View Hotel in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, as he attempted to flee after allegedly leaving his victim tied up in the hotel room.

FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu, who paraded the suspect noted that Efe was apprehended following the officers’ keen observation.

“When he came out of the hotel premises allegedly to meet his accomplice, our officers noticed something was off and stopped him. He tried to escape, but we pursued and apprehended him, and on returning to the hotel, we found a young woman, Olivia Ijeoma Chukwuemeka, bound and gagged,” Odumosu explained.

According to the Commandant, Efe targeted women through dating platforms like Badoo, Tinder, and Insta Love, luring them to hotels with the intention of robbing them.

He met his latest victim, Olivia Ijeoma Chukwuemeka on a dating site – “Coded Runs” before luring her into the said hotel. ‘

Odumosu revealed that after conducting a thorough investigation, it was revealed that Efe had arrived in Abuja from Lagos on Tuesday, September 17, and had already victimised another woman at a different hotel, FAB, by Top Rank Hotel, adjacent Old Federal Secretariat, Area 1, where he managed to escape due to inadequate security.

Sadly, rather than retreat upon his escape, the adamant suspect then proceeded to Top View Hotel, checked in by 2:30am on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, where he invited his latest victim who arrived at 9am with a promise to pay her a N100,000.

Odumosu who urged hotel owners to prioritise the safety of their guests and to be vigilant against criminal activities occurring on their premises, emphasised that the NSCDC operates with professionalism and does not condone the release of unverified information to the media.

He emphasied that the video circulating on social media regarding the incident was not recorded or released by his team, which he described as highly professional.

“We are committed to performing our duties with diligence before taking any necessary steps to prosecute or transfer a suspect to the appropriate agency,” he stated.

According to him, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with online dating, highlighting the importance of caution and awareness among users.

The victim, a beautician from Enugu, shared her harrowing experience, stating, “He used my clothes, a cellotape and a pillowcase to tie me up and threatened to kill me with a poisonous injection if I didn’t comply.”

She recalled how he confiscated her Android phone and demanded access to her Opay mobile banking app. “He

was contemplating what to do next when, thankfully, I was rescued.”

In a separate case, the Commandant also presented another suspect, Usman Ibrahim, who was arrested for vandalising armored cables from a transformer at the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission’s Nuclear Technology Centre in Sheda Village, Abuja.

Sokoto State Government has commended the Nigerian Military over its operation against insecurity and banditry in the state.

The Special Adviser on Security Matters to the state Governor, Col Ahmed Usman (rtd), stated this while speaking with newsmen in Sokoto.

He said the federal government in collaboration with the state government and other security agencies are doing their best to restore peace in the region.

“Just two weeks ago, hundreds of motorcycles and patrol vehicles were released to local government areas for the use of our local security guards which was established recently by the state government.”

“This is in addition to other support given to conventional security agencies like the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among others. A total number of 70 brand new patrol vehicles, including Toyota Buffalo and Hilux were distributed to them”, Usman said.

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, on Friday handed over €5,100 proceeds of crime to the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Ignacio Sell.

The sum was recovered from a Nigerian romance fraudster for a Spanish victim, Heinz Uchtmann, by the EFCC in collaboration with the Spanish Police

In a statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC chairman said that the resources controlled by criminals worldwide outstrip the wealth of the technology industry.

Olukoyede added that the borderless nature of internet crimes has made collaboration and partnership among countries and law enforcement agencies essential. He reaffirmed the EFCC’s commitment to making Nigeria an inhospitable environment for corrupt and fraudulent individuals.

“On our path, we are resolute to ensure that Nigeria is not made a safe haven for financial criminals and corrupt people. We do it to cleanse our system in collaboration with our partners across the world. We are much more ready to continue to do that. In the interest of both countries, we must do what we have to do. There must be mutual trust, mutual support for us to ensure that we cleanse the global financial ecosystem from being destroyed,” the statement read.

Sell, in his response, lauded the collaboration between the EFCC and Spanish Police and pledged the commitment of the Spanish government to strengthen and take it higher.