The Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, announced on Monday that the Ogun State Police Command had arrested three suspects for breaking into the WhatsApp account of Deputy Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni, the head of the state’s Criminal Investigation Department, and defrauding his family and friends out of more than N1.1 million.
The suspects and other individuals involved in various crimes were paraded at the command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
According to the CP, “The suspects hacked the WhatsApp account linked to GSM number 08034062773 belonging to DCP Bode Ojajuni of the State CID, Eleweran.”
Ogunlowo identified the suspects as Tolani Jeremiah (31), Akande Suru (20), and Edwin Jatto (24), who were captured at their hideout in Edo State. The three allegedly broke into DCP Ojajuni’s WhatsApp account and sent messages to his contacts, requesting immediate financial assistance.
They used the account to trick the victim’s relatives and acquaintances into sending money to a Moniepoint account, 6862703892, using the alias Ichioma Ojo. They stole N1,115,000 from their victims.
Six cell phones—including a Redmi Android phone—as well as a number of other gadgets utilized in the hacking operation were found among the suspects, according to Ogunlowo. According to investigations, the suspects got around WhatsApp’s one-time password security scheme by using a Gmail account (akandesuru342@gmail.com).
Ogunlowo continued by stating, “The suspects admitted to the crime and are members of an online fraud syndicate that preys on defenseless people.”
In another case, authorities paraded members of a network that trafficked children and was reportedly run by Mama Faith, a suspect who is presently being held at the Ibara Correctional Center. Patience Chikieze (54), Oluyinka Folake (43), and ThankGod Taiwo (35), were among those paraded. The three of them were charged with kidnapping and selling children for unauthorized adoption.
After he kidnapped seven-year-old Mercy Akande and sold her to Chikieze at the Ipaja Roundabout in Lagos for N650,000, Taiwo was apprehended at his hiding place. After being taken into custody on December 29 at Lafenwa-Itele, Chikieze led police to her home, where the child was safely retrieved.
Chikieze admitted that her buyer had rejected Mercy due to her age, according to the CP. Subsequent investigations showed that Chikieze had previously paid N250,000 for a three-year-old boy named Mohees Daniel and sold him for N3 million.
She also allegedly paid N1.5 million for another child, David Jesulayomi, from Oluyinka, which she tried to sell for a profit. Both children were found, along with fictitious adoption agreements that Chikieze had created in order to trick unwary adopters under the pretense of legal child adoption, the CP stated.
She admitted to working for Mama Faith, who planned the illicit activities, along with her companions Taiwo and Folake.
Three weeks after taking office, CP Ogunlowo issued a warning to the state’s criminals: stop your illicit activity or face the full force of the law.
In order to effectively battle crime, he urged the public to provide the police with timely intelligence.