Nigeria Police unveil cybercrime reporting platform

The Nigeria Police Force has unveiled a platform for reporting cybercrime. NPF says the platform is in its bid to reinforce its commitment to tackling digital threats. The new portal, managed by the NPF National Cybercrime Centre is now accessible with a new site replacing the old site. The Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. The statement read, “The Nigeria Police Force is pleased to inform the general public of the launch of a new, more robust, and secure domain for reporting cybercrime-related offences as part of the continued commitment to combating cybercrime and enhancing the safety and security of our digital space. “The new reporting platform, managed by the NPF National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), can be accessed at: [https://nccc.npf.gov.ng/ereport/signin]. This upgraded domain replaces the previous site [https://incb.npf.gov.ng] which must be discarded.” The statement stated that the upgraded domain offers enhanced security to protect user information and is user-friendly for efficient reporting. Additionally, it featured improved tracking and response mechanisms for timely action on reported cases, and it urged the public to utilize this platform to aid in the fight against cybercrime in Nigeria. “The upgraded domain includes enhanced security measures to protect user information and ensure confidentiality and is user-friendly for easy and efficient reporting of cybercrime incidents. “It also includes improved tracking and response mechanisms to ensure timely and effective action on reported cases. “The Inspector General of Police urges all members of the public to utilize this new platform for reporting any cybercrime activities as vigilance and prompt reporting can significantly contribute to police efforts in tackling the menace of cybercrime in Nigeria, and even beyond,” it added. It would be recalled that implementing the Cybercrime Act 2015 has been met with different reactions from various quarters. The Act will provide a unified legal, regulatory, and institutional framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrimes in Nigeria.

Police Crack Down on Gistlover Syndicate: Three Suspects Apprehended

The Nigeria Police National Cybercrime Center recently made a crack down by apprehending three individuals suspected to be the masterminds behind the controversial microblogging platform, Gistlover. Acting upon a petition from Doctor Mrs Seye Oladejo, the police successfully nabbed the alleged culprits. According to ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, the command’s spokesperson, the arrested suspects—Adebukola Kolapo, Nnedum Micheal Somtomchukwu, and Isaac Akpokighe—are believed to be members of a syndicate known as Gistlover Family, responsible for the daily management of the contentious Gistlover news site. The suspects were publicly paraded at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, with Adejobi highlighting the blog’s history of cyberstalking, incitement, and blackmail, which has long been a cause for public concern. Adejobi’s statement revealed shocking details about the suspects’ involvement, stating, “Upon arrest, the suspects confessed to their various degrees of involvement in the conspiracy, providing corroborative evidence. Adebukola Kolapo, alias Omo oba Gistlover, was responsible for creating over 80 per cent of the Gistlover pages, actively contributing to criminal acts such as cyberstalking and blackmail against individuals like Hon. and Dr. Mrs. Oluseyi Oladejo. Moreover, Adebukola was involved in laundering money obtained from illegal activities through various means.” The police further unveiled the roles of the other suspects, Nnedum Somtochukwu and Isaac Akpokighe, elucidating their contributions to the syndicate’s activities. Nnedum was involved in redirecting traffic to new pages whenever the platform faced sanctions, while Isaac imitated the Gistlover blog’s operations, creating multiple pages to replicate defamatory posts against notable Nigerians. The statement emphasized that the suspects would face legal charges upon the completion of the investigation. It also warned against supporting illegal activities similar to those carried out by Gistlover. The Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, commended the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center and reaffirmed the Force’s dedication to ensuring citizens’ safety in both physical and digital spaces. CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry’s leadership at the National Cybercrime Center was specifically applauded for its efforts in combating cybercrime.

Police bust bank account hacking syndicate, arrest 2

The Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police has cracked down a syndicate that specialises in hacking into bank customers’ accounts and arrested two suspects. 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.