Police Apprehend Four Suspects for Alleged Sextortion
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has apprehended four suspects in connection with an alleged case of ‘sextortion’ and romance scam.
A statement issued by the Force PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the suspects, Abodunrin Rasheed, Abodunrin Tunde, and Abodunrin Rokeeb, were apprehended following a report via the NPF-NCCC E-Reporting portal and an intelligence report from the centre.
It stated that: “Investigation revealed that the suspects met a Croatian national on a dating app and claimed to be a woman. Their continuous chats progressed to Instagram and WhatsApp leading to an intimate relationship. However, the Croatian was deceived into sending nude pictures of himself through the dating app. The suspects subsequently conspired and pressured him to pay ransom or have his pictures sent to his family and friends.”
Adejobi said that operatives of the NPF-NCCC conducted a due investigation, following the obtained information from the report, which led to the apprehension of the suspects and the recovery of the following exhibits related to the crime. The recovered exhibits, he said, included six iPhones, one Techno phone, one Samsung phone, and a Lexus car.
The police spokesperson stated that further investigations revealed that the suspects have previously engaged in numerous similar cyber-criminal activities, both collectively and individually, defrauding and extorting numerous victims globally.
According to him, “The proceeds of these crimes were primarily received through gift cards like the iTunes gift cards, steam gift cards among others. The suspects will be charged in court upon completion of the investigations.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urged Nigerians to be wary of suspicious online activities of scammers and other cyber criminals, and also sends a strong warning to all individuals and groups involved in all sorts of cybercrime.
Egbetokun said: “The Nigeria Police Force will not relent in its fight against all sorts of crime and criminality.”
The IG further reiterated the commitment of the police to dominating Nigerian cyberspace and taking strict action against individuals or groups attempting to compromise national peace and security.
He assured Nigerians of his dedication to bolstering national security and tackling all forms of crime in every sector. The IG also encouraged citizens to report any suspicious activities through the e-reporting portal of the NPF-NCCC: nccc.npf.gov.ng/ereport/signin to aid in the timely identification and apprehension of cyber criminals.
