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We’ve Arrested Officers Aiding Foreign Hackers, IGP Confirms
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed that officers who were protecting foreign hackers arrested for cybercrimes were engaged in illegal activities.
This follows the November 4 announcement by the police, which revealed the arrest of 130 suspects involved in high-level cybercrimes, hacking, and activities threatening national security. Among those arrested, 113 were foreign nationals—87 men and 26 women—primarily from China and Malaysia, alongside 17 Nigerian collaborators.
Reports indicated that some of these foreign nationals had been receiving police protection prior to their arrest.
Responding to these claims, Egbetokun addressed the issue on Monday during a workshop on criminal investigation standardization, confirming that the officers involved had been arrested and were under detention.
“It is true that some policemen were seen protecting these foreigners. They have been arrested. We found that these policemen were on illegal duty. Nobody deployed them. They were not properly assigned to that task,” Egbetokun explained.
He stated that the officers’ unit commanders have disowned them, and the officers would face disciplinary action.
“I have explained that those police escorts were not formally deployed by the police authority; they were found performing illegal duties. They have already been found escorting the arrested foreigners. Their unit commanders have denied having sent them. They were performing illegal duties, and they will be dealt with accordingly,” Egbetokun added.
However, the IG clarified that not all police protection is improper. He emphasized that certain individuals, particularly prominent businessmen and employers, do require police protection due to their societal and economic roles.
“That does not negate the fact that we have to provide protection for certain individuals in society. There are VIPs that the police must protect. There are major businessmen, employers of labor, and individuals who have thousands of Nigerians in their organizations. These individuals deserve protection,” he said.
Egbetokun further explained that when determining who qualifies for police protection, authorities consider the person’s status and contributions to the economy.
“If something happens to them, you can imagine the impact it will have on their businesses and the effect it will have on unemployment rates in our country. We assess their position in society and their contribution to the economy when determining whether they need police protection,” he said.
He also addressed concerns about police officers being assigned to individuals who do not require security, revealing that some officers were improperly attached. “Some of these policemen you see attached to people who don’t deserve police protection were not formally deployed by the police authority. Some of them were picked off the streets. We are already addressing this issue. Recently, I issued a directive that any policeman found in such situations will be traced to their origin, and their commander or supervisor will be held accountable. We are confident that with the measures we have taken, such incidents will reduce,” Egbetokun explained.
On the issue of police escorts being misused, the IG warned that action would be taken if individuals were found to be abusing their privileges.
“It is important to note that sometimes individuals apply for escorts. We investigate to confirm they deserve them and provide the necessary security. However, if those individuals misuse their escorts, we immediately withdraw them. There are cases where those entitled to police escorts misuse them, and we take action accordingly,” he said.
In relation to the minors recently arrested, Egbetokun clarified that they were not detained for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests, as some had claimed. Instead, they were arrested for engaging in criminal acts, including looting and destroying public infrastructure.
“I don’t want to make any categorical statements on this issue after the intervention of Mr President. I want to thank Mr President for his fatherly intervention in granting those children a pardon. However, I want to correct the impression that the minors were arrested for participating in the End Bad Governance protest. That is a false narrative,” Egbetokun said.
“The police did not arrest anyone for participating in the End Bad Governance protest. We arrested criminals who took advantage of the protest to destroy public infrastructure, private businesses, and commit arson. These individuals cannot be considered protesters. The police did not arrest any protesters,” he added, emphasizing that those involved in looting and destruction were not engaged in peaceful protest but in criminal behavior.
“It’s a mischievous narrative to claim that the 76 suspects who were arraigned in court were people who participated in the End Bad Governance protest. We have said time and again that protesting is a right of citizens. However, these individuals were caught on video looting businesses, destroying private and public property, and committing crimes. You cannot expect the police to turn a blind eye and allow this destruction to continue. No society can progress under such circumstances,” Egbetokun concluded.
The Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, affirmed Senator Monday Okpebholo as the governor.
A three-member panel headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, against the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.
In its judgment, the panel ruled that the petitioners failed to call competent witnesses to prove the allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
In the lead judgment read by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the Tribunal said non-compliance must be proven convincingly. It noted that the failure of the petitioners to call polling unit officers, presiding officers or even voters during the election proved fatal to their petition.
The Tribunal stated that most of the 19 witnesses called by the PDP merely gave hearsay evidence during the proceedings.
Justice Kpochi faulted what he termed as the PDP’s reliance on Section 137 of the Electoral Act to dump documents on the Tribunal. The Tribunal noted that it’s not for it to scrutinise documents tendered by the petitioners.
The Edo Tribunal further said the BVAS machines tendered by the petitioners remain dormant, as it’s not the duty of the Tribunal to access the data in the machines.
In the unanimous decision, the Tribunal thereby restated that to prove overvoting as alleged by Ighodalo and the PDP, there’s a need to tender the voters register, BVAS machines and polling unit results or Forms EC8A.
Following that, the Tribunal dismissed the petition of Asue Ighodalo, candidate of PDP for lacking merit.
INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured 291,667 votes to defeat Ighodalo who got 247,655 votes. PDP approached the Tribunal to challenge the results from 765 polling units of the 4,519 units in Edo State.
The PDP candidate faulted the outcome of the election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and the failure of Monday Okphebholo to secure a majority of the lawful votes cast. Putting that in context, the PDP governorship candidate alleged improper computation of votes by INEC, non-serialisation of electoral materials and over-voting.
The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has
scheduled Wednesday, April 2, 2025, to deliver its judgment on the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo in the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election.
A three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reserved judgment on March 3 after parties in the suit concluded their final arguments.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on September 22 declared Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who polled 247,274 votes, and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata, who garnered 22,763 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, alleging widespread irregularities, including
over-voting, ballot serialisation issues, errors in collation, and miscalculations in results.
In the suit marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024,
Ighodalo presented a senior technical officer from INEC’s ICT department as a witness, who tendered 154 BVAS machines as evidence to substantiate claims of
over-voting.
Adopting his final address, Ighodalo further alleged that results from 765 polling units were manipulated at the collation centers and that errors in computation affected the final outcome.
He urged the tribunal to nullify the Certificate of Return issued to Okpebholo and declare him the rightful winner of the election.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has summoned President Bola Tinubu and Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, over the emergency rule declaration in the oil-rich State.
The summons follows a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation, alongside individuals Precious Elekima and Inanna Wright Harry, challenging the legality of the emergency rule imposed on the state.
Also listed as defendants in the suit are Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, the National Assembly, Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
President Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspending both the executive and legislative arms of government and appointing retired naval officer Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as administrator.
In suit number FHC/PH/CS/45/2025, the plaintiffs are seeking judicial interpretation on whether the emergency declaration aligns with constitutional provisions, arguing that it is unconstitutional, null, and void.
They contend that it violates Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act) and Section 305(3)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution, which outlines the conditions under which a state of emergency can be declared.
The plaintiffs have urged the court to restrain the Rivers State Administrator from appointing caretaker committees for the 23 local government councils, forming a state executive council, or making financial transactions from the state treasury.
Additionally, they are seeking an order for the immediate reinstatement of the suspended executive and legislative arms of government in the state.
Meanwhile, the court has given the defendants 30 days to respond to the summons.
