The Police Special Fraud Unit in Lagos State has arrested at least four serving members of the National Youth Service Corps and eight students from Gateway Polytechnic, Sapaade, for their alleged involvement in financial fraud across Lagos and Ogun states.
TheNigerian Metro gathered on Monday that, in addition to the students and corps members arrested during the operation, two individuals of unknown occupation were also apprehended by operatives of the PSFU on January 15, 2025, in the Sapaade community.
The PSFU spokesperson, Eyitayo Johnson, revealed this in a statement on Monday, following the various student unions’ visit to the PSFU Commissioner of Police, Godwin Omodeinde, for a dialogue after the suspects’ arrest.
The statement partly read, “On the 16th of January 2025, the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Godwin Omodeinde, received in audience leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students, National Association of Polytechnic Students, Association of Southern Nigerian Students, and GAPOSA Students Union Government.
“The visit of the Student Union leaders was to go into dialogue with the unit following the arrest of 14 persons, aged 18-28 years, at Saapade, Ogun State, on January 15, 2025.
“The arrested suspects, who were suspected members of an Internet fraud syndicate operating within Lagos and Ogun States, comprised eight students of Gateway Polytechnic, Ogun State; four NYSC members; and two other persons of unknown status who claimed to be an artist and a cobbler, respectively.”
Addressing the concerns raised by the Student Union leaders, the CP highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong and collaborative partnership between NANS members and the Nigeria Police.
Omodeinde further urged the students’ leaders to uphold their mandate of protecting their members’ welfare while ensuring that individuals involved in misconduct within their ranks are handed over to the police.
The statement read, “The Commissioner of Police also advised the student union executives to educate their members to desist from cybercrime, which is tarnishing the country’s image and making it difficult for Nigeria to exit the Financial Action Task Force grey list.
“He enumerated the following as implications of Nigeria’s status on the FATF grey list: reduced foreign investment, increased cost of transactions, difficulties in transacting with other countries, increased regulatory scrutiny, loss of revenue for the government, undermining of financial markets, reduced cross-border transactions, and loss of correspondent banking relationships, among others.
“The Student Union Leadership commended CP Omodeinde for his outstanding leadership style, diplomacy, and fairness, as the engagement will further improve relations/understanding between the police and student community.”
A report by TheNigerian Metro highlighted a similar mass arrest when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission apprehended 11 students from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, in 2023, for their alleged involvement in Internet fraud.
The commission stated that the students were apprehended in the Oduduwa Estate area of Ile-Ife based on “actionable intelligence” regarding their suspected involvement in Internet-related fraudulent activities.
