Posted by By Victor Ebimomi on
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in conjunction with other security agencies, have begun a systematic crackdown on known dens of economic and financial criminals in Lagos.
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in conjunction with other security agencies, have begun a systematic crackdown on known dens of economic and financial criminals in Lagos.
Security operatives swooped on a cybercafé at Afariogun Street, Ipodo, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday and arrested 25 people suspected to be fraudsters.
The raid came barely 24 hours after security operatives raided the Oluwole district on Lagos Island and arrested over 100 suspects.
The detectives who came in unmarked vehicles, according to eyewitnesses, arrived at 2.30 p.m. and cordoned off the cybercafé and its environs before moving in to arrest everybody inside and a pocket of people outside the cybercafé who were also suspected to be there for browsing.
The operatives were said to have left immediately after the operation that lasted for less than 30 minutes without disclosing their identities and their office to anybody.
After the operation, majority of the panic-stricken residents of the street deserted the road.
It was learnt that the cybercafé has been a haven for cyber-crimes as fraudsters otherwise known as ‘419' troop in daily to conduct their illicit business round-the-clock.
'Those boys make millions of dollar here every time, but they don't like to ‘settle', that is their undoing," an eyewitness explained.
Oluwole, located in central Lagos, infamous for forgery, advance fee fraud, money laundering and other fraudulent practices, was raided on Monday.
Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Osita Nwajah, said in a statement that the crackdown followed a directive from President Olusegun Obasanjo to the Acting Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, and heads of other law enforcement agencies to flush the hoodlums and fraudsters out of Oluwole and other such hideouts.