Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested four suspects, including two bank employees, over an alleged £138,924 (₦277,848,000) bank fraud.
The suspects—Shuaib Oluwatobiloba Olaleye, 27; Oladunjoye Adegoke, 33; Austin Alfred, 38; and Jude Uzobuaku, 36—were apprehended between March 12 and 13 for their alleged involvement in the illegal transfer of funds from the domiciliary accounts of international airlines domiciled in the affected commercial bank.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly moved the funds into the domiciliary account of a former bank employee before withdrawing the entire sum.
Briefing journalists on recent breakthroughs, Commissioner of Police (CP) Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, represented by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said an investigation was launched following a report from the commercial bank.
Olaleye was the first to be arrested on March 12 in Ogun State, with a Toyota Camry (2012/2013 model) suspected to be proceeds of the crime recovered from him. The next day, Adegoke was arrested in Victoria Island, and another Toyota Camry (Pencil Light model) was retrieved.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Austin Alfred, a supervisor in the bank’s Trade Services Department, and Jude Uzobuaku, a processor in the same department. The two employees allegedly facilitated the unauthorized transfer of funds to foreign accounts provided by the main suspect. The police stated that investigations were ongoing.
The Commissioner also disclosed that a total of 26 suspects were arrested for various offences over the past two weeks. Among the items recovered were four firearms, 21 rounds of live ammunition, six vehicles, a cutlass, mobile phones, cash, and hard drugs.
Among those arrested were Babatunde Ibrahim, 23; Michael Odova, 24; Seidu Abba, 20; and John Wisdom, all linked to Emmanuella Ogochukwu, 25, who was previously apprehended for allegedly robbing her lover of ₦15 million worth of Bitcoin and three iPhones in Okota. The suspects were arrested at the apartment of Wisdom, Emmanuella’s brother, where a locally made pistol, four cartridges, and an axe were recovered.
Additionally, operatives recovered a Lar rifle with 12 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition and an SMG rifle without a magazine inside a sack abandoned by suspected hoodlums in Ikorodu on March 21.
In another operation, police on March 14 arrested two suspects, Emmanuel Cletus, 32, and Adegor Joshua, 27, at Sangotedo, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, around 4 a.m. A search revealed an automatic pistol and five rounds of live ammunition in their possession.
The police also apprehended Dolapo Ojo, 22, for allegedly receiving stolen vehicles from the Southeast. Intelligence reports indicated that criminals were snatching cars in the region and transporting them to Lagos for resale. Ojo was arrested in Ikotun, and a silver Lexus 350 (2017 model) was recovered. Further investigation led to the recovery of a black Lexus 330 in Ojodu Berger, while efforts are ongoing to locate two other stolen vehicles.
The police assured that all suspects would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
“We want to assure residents and visitors that under CP Olohundare Jimoh, the low crime rate in Lagos will be sustained. We appreciate the unwavering support of the people of Lagos and the state government for their continuous provision of logistics and operational support,” the police stated.