Crime
Ibadan biggest investment fraudster, Gbenga Amos jailed 75 years
Justice Bayo Taiwo-led Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on December 14, 2023 jailed an investment conman, Olaniyan Gbenga Amos for 75 years under obtaining money by false pretence to a whooping sum of over N1 billion.
He was prosecuted in Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC following his arrest in 2020.
Details of his sentencing which was posted on EFCC X handle read:
“Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, on Thursday, December 14, 2023 convicted and sentenced Olaniyan Gbenga Amos to seventy five, 75, years imprisonment for multiple investment fraud.
“He was convicted alongside his firm, Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited. They were prosecuted on 35-count count charges by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, bordering on obtaining by false pretences, contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
“Count 35 of the charge reads: “That you Olaniyan Gbenga Amos and Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited on or about the 20th of February, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N1,540,000 (One million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand only) from Akinlabi Qasim Dada, when you falsely represented to him that the money was meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on investment in six weeks (30 working days), which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of obtaining money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.” Another Charge reads:
“That you OLANIYAN GBENGA AMOS and DETORRID HERITAGE INVESTMENT LIMITED on or about 27th of August, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N170,000 (One Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) only from Alhaji Mukaila Odunayo, when you falsely represented to him that the money is meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on Investment in 6 weeks (30 working days), which representations you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of obtaining money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.”
“The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
“In view of his plea, EFCC Counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi opened the case on February 17, 2022 and called six witnesses, tendered eight exhibits and closed the case on January 24, 2023.
“At the end of the prosecution’s case, the defendant filed a “no case submission”
“Which was overruled by the court. Consequently, the defendant opened and closed his case by calling three witnesses. Thereafter, Justice Taiwo reserved judgment in the matter till December 14, 2023.
“At the resumption of the trial on Thursday, December 14, 2023, Justice Taiwo convicted and sentenced the defendant to fifteen (15) years imprisonment on each of counts 27, 32, 33, 34, and 35 but discharged and acquitted the defendant on counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ,8, 9; 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19; 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29; 30 and 31 respectively.
“Furthermore, the court ordered that the sentence should run concurrently and the defendant should also restitute the victims. Amos has three other ongoing trials before Federal and State High Courts in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The convict’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested and arraigned before Justice Bayo Taiwo on December 14, 2021 by the EFCC.
“He swindled several individuals through fake investment ventures that led to the loss of money to the tune of over N1 billion by investors. Amos deliberately reneged to meet up with the agreements he made with his investors, by not paying the agreed “Return on Investment” to those who invested in “Crime Alert Security Network”, a security investment programme under the umbrella of his firm.”
Groups operating under the aegis of the Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) and Campaign for Democracy (CD) South East Zone have called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to release ritualists and native doctors in detention.
The groups said, the Qnambra Governor should use the three years anniversary of his office to release the ritualists who have been in detention in the government house.
The appeal was contained in a joint statement by the Executive Director of the Human Rights body, CD South East Zonal Chairman Dede Uzor A.Uzor, the groups said he should use their release as a gift to their families in this season and occasion of three years in office.
The group named the native doctors as: Akwa Okuko tiwara Aku in Oba, Eke Hit from Okija and Onyeze Jesus from Nkpor.
The trio were arrested in connection with “spurious and obnoxious social media instigation on our youths” which painted a very bad image for the society.
The group lamented that the native doctors encouraged ostentatious lifestyle and crime, making our youths to believe that hard work doesn’t pay unless you engaged in unwholesome criminal activities like ‘okeite’ or ‘Awale, yahoo plus’ among other false lifestyles.
It also said “their activities promoted serious insecurity and tension in the state with teeming young people turning to such criminal and outlandish lifestyles.
“But since their arrest, we believe they have learnt a big lesson”.
The group advised that Soludo should make them sign undertaking with the hope of discontinuing such crude, unethical and diabolical activities in line with the extant laws of the State,” they appealed to the Governor.
HURIDE said Governor Soludo should grant amnesty to them in the spirit of this successful celebration of three years in office, saying that he has done so much to improve the lives of citizens of the State.
CAPITAL POST recalled that the Soludo administration has been clamping on criminal elements amid high number of missing persons believed to be orchestrated by ritualists in the State.
Crime
Ghana’s anti-drug agency nabs Nigerian drug kingpin, Uchechukwu Chima, seizes $2.1m worth of cocaine, heroin
Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested a drug kingpin of Nigerian origin from the South East , Uchechukwu Chima.
The commission operatives raided his hideout in Accra.
Chima, who is 56 years was arrested on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, following the discovery of 192kg of cocaine and 0.42kg of heroin, valued at $2.1 million on the streets.
The acting Director of of Public Affairs and International Relations at NACOC, Francis Amoah speaking on the matter in Accra, confirmed that the substances seized were indeed cocaine and heroin.
Authorities believe Chima has played a significant role in previous drug-related operations in the country.
He said the operation marks a critical success in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in Ghana.
“NACOC remains committed to making the country a hostile environment for drug trade and ensuring the safety of both Ghanaians and the international community.”
The Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to Police Mobile Force, 70 Squadron, Kabba today Friday 14th March, 2025 foiled abduction of passengers along Ayere road. This is consequent upon a distress that some armed hoodlums blocked the road in an attempt to abduct some passengers in a Vehicle.
On receipt of the distress call, reinforcement teams from Sharper Corner pindown were promptly mobilized and sent to the scene which equally engaged the hoodlums, and owing to the superior fire power of the Police, the hoodlums fled into the bush and abandoned their victims who were rescued by the Police.
The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, has ordered the deployment of additional operational and tactical assets of the Command to embark on thorough combing of the surrounding bushes with a view to apprehending the hoodlums and bringing them to deserved justice.
The CP while commending the unwavering dedication by the men of 70 PMF, Kabba, assured the public that the Police will not rest on its oars in the fight against criminality in the State.
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