New Post Africa

Category: Crime Diary

  • Police uncover ₦6.17bn cybercrime network, arrest suspects

    Police uncover ₦6.17bn cybercrime network, arrest suspects

    ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has uncovered a series of cybercrime operations involving financial diversion, stolen-phone banking fraud and identity theft.

    According to a statement by the NPF-NCCC, four major investigations have exposed emerging methods being used by cybercriminals to steal money, identities and valuable devices.

    One of the investigations involves the alleged diversion of ₦6.174 billion, with 761 successful payments traced to 105 beneficiaries across 19 banks.

    The police said two suspects had been arrested in connection with the case, while efforts were ongoing to locate another suspect.

    In Abuja, investigators also uncovered a scheme in which stolen mobile phones were allegedly used to gain unauthorised access to victims’ bank accounts, resulting in the withdrawal and transfer of funds.

    The NPF-NCCC further said an investigation into the disappearance of 222 iPhones and 15 smartwatches, valued at about $144,440, had led to five arrests and the recovery of six suspected stolen devices.

    The Centre warned members of the public against the misuse of digital platforms for cyberbullying, cyberstalking, criminal defamation and the dissemination of false publications.

    It urged Nigerians to exercise caution online and report suspicious cyber activities to the appropriate authorities.

  • IGP presents N17.66m insurance cheques to Abia Police beneficiaries

    IGP presents N17.66m insurance cheques to Abia Police beneficiaries

    UMUAHIA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, has presented 21 insurance cheques worth a cumulative ₦17,662,896.70 to beneficiaries of deceased and affected police personnel in the state.

    The presentation, made on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, was on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police under the Nigeria Police Force Insurance Scheme.

    According to a statement issued by the Abia Police spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chinaka, the cheques covered the Group Life Assurance (GLA) and Group Personal Accident (GPA) schemes.

    Speaking during the event, Afolabi said the gesture reflected the commitment of the Inspector-General of Police to the welfare of officers and their families, particularly those who had paid the ultimate price or suffered losses in the line of duty.

    He encouraged the beneficiaries to make prudent and productive use of the funds, including investing in and expanding their businesses to secure their future.

    Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the recipients expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police for the support and welfare initiative. They also commended the Commissioner of Police for his leadership and facilitation of the process, saying the gesture would help alleviate their financial burdens.

    The beneficiaries assured that the funds would be judiciously utilised and prayed for the continued success of the Nigeria Police Force and its leadership.

  • South Africa police arrest five suspects, recover drugs, copper and hijacked vehicles

    South Africa police arrest five suspects, recover drugs, copper and hijacked vehicles

    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (NPA) — The South African Police Service (SAPS) has reported multiple arrests and recoveries following operations by members of the Benoni Flying Squad between September 21 and 27, 2026.

    According to a statement issued by the police on Tuesday, five suspects were arrested during the period, while officers recovered drugs, suspected stolen copper cables, two motor vehicles, a truck and two trailers.

    Two suspects, aged 36 and 42, were arrested in separate drug-related incidents in Kempton Park. Police said crystal methamphetamine and suspected “cat” drugs were recovered during the operations.

    On Tuesday, at about 8 a.m., officers stopped a white Hyundai panel van carrying large bags at the N12/Putfontein offramp. A search reportedly found the bags containing copper cables suspected to have been stolen.

    Two suspects, aged 35 and 38, were arrested. Police impounded the Hyundai as an alleged vehicle used in the commission of a crime, while the recovered copper cables, valued at about R80,000, were booked as exhibits.

    On Wednesday night at about 11:50 p.m., officers patrolling Tembisa were led by a complainant in a domestic violence case to an address in Illidinga Section.

    The complainant identified a 41-year-old suspect, who was arrested and detained at Tembisa Police Station.

    The police also recovered several abandoned vehicles during further operations.

    These included a silver Volkswagen Tiguan recovered in Springs CBD and reported hijacked in a Benoni case; a white UD truck and two trailers recovered at Crystal Park and reported hijacked in a Brakpan case; and a white Toyota Hilux reported hijacked in Sekhukhune.

    Police said the Hilux was recovered after officers pursued it from the N12 at about 4 a.m. on Saturday. The chase ended in a veld near the corner of Laris and R555 in Etwatwa, but the suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled.

    The police said investigations were continuing in all the cases.

    The suspects have appeared or are expected to appear before local Magistrates’ Courts on charges including possession of drugs, possession of suspected stolen goods and domestic violence.

  • Amnesty raises alarm over police treatment of Kaduna journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi

    Amnesty raises alarm over police treatment of Kaduna journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi

    KADUNA, Nigeria (NPA) — Amnesty International Nigeria has raised concerns over what it described as a shrinking civic space in Nigeria, following the declaration of Kaduna journalist Zainab Salihu Yabagi as wanted by the state police command over a video explainer concerning Ibrahim Masari, a Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu.

    The rights group said the development was part of what it described as an increasingly worrying pattern in which journalists, activists and human rights defenders face arrest, intimidation, harassment, prosecution and other reprisals in connection with their work.

    According to Amnesty, heavily armed police officers invaded the Kaduna studios of JKD Radio/Television in Millennium City on September 11, 2026, while searching for Yabagi.

    The group said the officers initially cited a “stolen phone” in connection with their search for the journalist, but the operation was linked to a video explainer produced by the station concerning Masari.

    During the operation, the station’s General Manager, Charles Abah, and a security guard were arrested and detained for more than seven hours, according to reports cited by Amnesty.

    Amnesty condemned the declaration of Yabagi as wanted and the raid on the media organisation, warning that such actions could further restrict the ability of journalists and media organisations to report on issues of public interest without fear of reprisals.

    The rights group said the targeting of journalists over their professional activities threatened press freedom and contributed to what it described as a broader erosion of civic space in Nigeria.

    It urged the authorities to end what it described as the harassment and intimidation of JKD Radio/Television and allow journalists to carry out their professional duties without undue interference.

    Other media and rights organisations, including the International Press Institute Nigeria and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, have also expressed concern over the incident and called for due process, restraint and dialogue.

  • Abia Police raid criminal hideouts, recover 28 human skulls and bones in Isuochi

    Abia Police raid criminal hideouts, recover 28 human skulls and bones in Isuochi

    UMUAHIA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Abia State Police Command has raided suspected criminal hideouts in Isuochi, where operatives recovered 28 human skulls and bones suspected to be those of victims of criminal activities.

    According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, the operation was carried out on Saturday, September 26, as part of ongoing intelligence-led raids across the state under “Operation No Hideout for Criminal Elements in the State.”

    Chinaka said the operation followed actionable intelligence and involved personnel from the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit (IRU), Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Isuochi Divisional Police Station.

    She said the operatives conducted bush-combing operations at suspected criminal camps in forests around Umuaku, Isuochi, as well as another camp at Nneato, also in Isuochi.

    According to the police, the suspects fled upon the arrival of the tactical operatives, after which the camps were dismantled.

    “The criminal camps were subsequently dismantled. A total of twenty-eight (28) human skulls and bones, suspected to be kidnap victims, were recovered,” the statement said.

    The Command said investigation was ongoing, while surveillance of the area had been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

    The Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, said the Command remained committed to making Abia a “no-hiding place” for criminal elements and their activities.

    He urged residents to support the police by reporting security concerns to the nearest police station.

    As of the time of filing this report, the identities of the remains had not been established. The police are expected to rely on forensic examination, including DNA analysis where necessary, to determine the identities of the deceased and establish the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

  • North Korea-linked hackers push 2026 crypto thefts above $1bn after Bitget hack

    North Korea-linked hackers push 2026 crypto thefts above $1bn after Bitget hack

    SEOUL, South Korea (NPA) — Suspected North Korean hackers have pushed cryptocurrency thefts linked to the country above $1 billion in 2026 following the $387.5 million security breach at crypto exchange Bitget.

    Bitget said attackers on September 24 compromised a backend system connected to its wallet infrastructure and manipulated transaction data to trigger unauthorised transfer approvals from hot and warm wallets.

    The exchange initially estimated the loss at $351.6 million but later revised the figure to approximately $387.5 million after accounting for additional assets affected on the TRON and Zcash networks. Bitget said its cold wallets and customer balances were not affected.

    Bitget said its User Protection Fund, which holds more than $464 million, would cover the loss, while security teams work to restore withdrawals and trace the stolen assets.

    The attack is the largest cryptocurrency theft reported so far in 2026, according to TRM Labs.

    Bitget CEO Gracy Chen has said North Korean involvement was highly likely, citing similarities with techniques and infrastructure associated with previous North Korea-linked attacks. TRM Labs, however, said it had not definitively attributed the Bitget theft to North Korea, although on-chain links point towards a laundering network previously associated with North Korean operations.

    If the Bitget theft is ultimately attributed to North Korea, the country’s crypto thefts in 2026 would exceed $1 billion. TRM had already attributed about $643 million in crypto thefts to North Korea-linked activity during the first half of the year.

    North Korea-linked groups were also associated with the $1.46 billion Bybit theft in February 2025, which TRM described as the largest single cryptocurrency theft attributed to the country.

    The Bitget incident has renewed concerns over the security of cryptocurrency exchanges, particularly the backend systems and operational infrastructure used to authorise transactions.

  • BREAKING: Woman shot dead during alleged robbery in Thembisa

    BREAKING: Woman shot dead during alleged robbery in Thembisa

    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (NPA) — Gauteng police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old woman during an alleged robbery in Thembisa on Monday morning.

    According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the woman was shot at about 5:45 a.m. on Mapungubwe Street in Temong, Thembisa, while reportedly on her way to work.

    Police said her belongings were taken during the incident and that she died at the scene.

    The deceased has been identified, but police said her family had not yet been formally notified.

    SAPS said preliminary investigations had not established any link between the killing and recent cases involving the bodies of women found in Ekurhuleni.

    No arrest has been made, while investigators are following up on leads.

    The shooting comes a day after separate mass shootings in South Africa left at least 27 people dead and 26 others injured, with police launching investigations and manhunts in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

    In the Gauteng incident, 17 people were killed and 15 others injured when eight unidentified armed men attacked a tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, in the West Rand District on Saturday night.

    According to Gauteng police, the attack occurred at about 9:30 p.m. as patrons gathered inside and outside the tavern.

    The suspects reportedly opened fire on people outside before entering the tavern and continuing the shooting. Police said the attackers were armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols.

    Investigations into the Wedela attack are ongoing, with no arrests reported in the police update.

  • Europe-bound bridegroom excretes 72 wraps of cocaine at Enugu airport

    Europe-bound bridegroom excretes 72 wraps of cocaine at Enugu airport

    ENUGU, Nigeria (NPA) — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, for allegedly attempting to traffic 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal, where he resides.

    According to a statement issued on Sunday, September 27, 2026, by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Chukwulobelu was intercepted by NDLEA officers at the airport’s departure hall on Thursday, September 25, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa.

    The agency said the suspect had ingested the cocaine and was placed under excretion observation, during which he egested a total of 72 wraps of the Class A illicit drug.

    Chukwulobelu reportedly told NDLEA that he was engaged in car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.

    He said he recently returned to Nigeria and got married on September 13, 2026, adding that he resorted to the alleged criminal activity to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.

    At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, September 22, uncovered what the agency described as one of the year’s biggest opioid seizures during a joint examination of three monitored consignments.

    The agency said it seized 2,550,000 pills of Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55 kilogrammes.

    The consignments were imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.

    In Bauchi, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Umar Hamidu, 35, and Abdulkarim Salihu, 45, along the Maiduguri bypass with 300 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 262.5kg.

    The agency said the cannabis was concealed in the false bottom of a truck marked MUB757 YH.

    In Edo State, NDLEA officers, supported by soldiers, destroyed two cannabis farms at Eko Camp, Ilushi, on Wednesday, September 23. The farms had an estimated combined yield of 1,360.23kg of cannabis.

    In Lagos, two women, Odumabo Kehinde, 36, and Obiekwe Chioma, 40, were arrested on Saturday, September 26, when NDLEA operatives raided Anifowoshe Street in Mushin and recovered 3.4kg of skunk.

    In a separate operation in Lagos the same day, NDLEA officers intercepted a 58-year-old man, Ugwu Johnson, at Ebute-Ero motor park with what the agency described as large quantities of illicit drugs.

    The items recovered included 5.920kg of skunk, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam and 40,000 pills of tramadol.

    In Oyo State, two Togolese nationals, Yinusa Abdulsamad, 35, and Fatai Baba, 33, were arrested on Saturday, September 26, along the Iganna-Ilero Road in Iganna with 305.6kg of skunk.

    NDLEA said the cannabis was concealed in two pick-up vans allegedly used for a cross-border trafficking operation involving Ghana-sourced cannabis brought into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.

    At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, five suspects were arrested with 420 cartons of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, weighing 1,688.4kg.

    The suspects, according to NDLEA, were Kingsley John, 40; John Chibuike Okeke, 44; Lamidi Ismaila, 40; Babatunde Samuel, 42; and Afeesu Idowu, 47.

    Two vehicles allegedly used to convey the consignment from the border into Lagos were also recovered.

    Meanwhile, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.

    The activities included sensitisation lectures for students and staff of Community High School, Saki, Oyo State; Auchi College, Auchi, Edo State; Alkali Modibbo Islamic Centre, Dukku, Gombe State; and Junior Arabic Secondary School, Kahu, Kibiya Local Government Area of Kano State.

    The Delta Ports Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatshe III, in Delta State, among other activities.

    While commending officers and men of the MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Seme and Bauchi Commands for the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), urged them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts.

  • South Africa shootings leave 27 dead, 26 injured as police launch manhunts

    South Africa shootings leave 27 dead, 26 injured as police launch manhunts

    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (NPA) — At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others injured in separate mass shootings in South Africa, with police launching manhunts for the gunmen responsible for the attacks in Wedela and Lwandle.

    In the first incident, 17 people were killed and 15 others injured when eight unidentified armed men attacked a tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, in the West Rand District of Gauteng, on Saturday night.

    According to Gauteng Police, the incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. when patrons were drinking inside and outside the tavern.

    The suspects reportedly opened fire on patrons outside before entering the tavern and continuing to shoot those inside. They were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols.

    Police said the attackers searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles. Two vehicles were also set on fire during the incident.

    Emergency Medical Services declared all 17 victims, comprising 13 males and four females, dead at the scene. Fifteen other victims sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to medical facilities for treatment.

    Police have opened 17 counts of murder, 15 counts of attempted murder and two counts of malicious damage to property.

    No arrests had been made as of the time of filing, while a team of detectives and specialised units continued efforts to trace the suspects.

    In a separate attack in Lwandle, Western Cape, 10 people were killed and 11 others injured after gunmen opened fire at an entertainment venue in the early hours of Sunday.

    Western Cape police said the gunmen entered the venue, which also sells braaied meat, at about 1:46 a.m. and opened fire on patrons.

    Five victims died at the scene, while five others later succumbed to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities. Eleven others are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.

    Lwandle police have opened murder and attempted murder cases.

    Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lt. Gen. Sizakhele Dyantyi has established a multidisciplinary team led by serious violent crime detectives to investigate the shooting.

    Police said no arrests had been made and detectives were searching for the perpetrators.

    The identities of the deceased will be released after their next of kin have been informed.

    SAPS management has also increased police deployments in the area as the search for the gunmen continues.

    Police said the motives for both attacks remained unknown.

  • Delta Police arrest one over death of Education Ministry deputy director

    Delta Police arrest one over death of Education Ministry deputy director

    ASABA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Delta State Police Command has arrested one suspect and launched a manhunt for others following the death of Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the Delta State Ministry of Secondary Education.

    Adeda reportedly died following an incident at the office of the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, in Asaba.

    In a statement on Friday, Sept. 25, signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the command said it was aware of allegations that the deceased was physically assaulted by aides to the commissioner identified as Enos Attah, Oputa Okestine and Lucky Adoh.

    The police said that upon receiving the complaints, it immediately commenced action and arrested Lucky Adoh, while a manhunt for the other suspects, who are reportedly at large, is ongoing.

    The Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel E. Erale, has ordered the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the subsequent death of the deceased.

    According to the command, investigators will examine available evidence, including video footage, eyewitness accounts and medical records, as well as the actions of all persons connected with the incident.

    The police said the investigation was aimed at establishing the facts and ensuring that anyone found culpable is brought to justice in accordance with the law.

    Erale assured the deceased’s family and the public that the command would neither shield nor spare anyone found culpable, irrespective of status or position.

    The command said relevant updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.

    The commissioner also extended condolences to the family of the deceased and assured them that the pursuit of justice would be conducted diligently and without fear or favour.