Police arrest six in national security breach crackdown

The FCT Police Command has arrested six suspects involved in a national security breach, selling already registered sim cards to criminals.

The suspects, identified as Ndubuisi Okeh, John Jock, Nafiu Tijani, Nasiru Sulaiman, John Njoku, and Suleiman Musa, were arrested on May 29, 2024, by a team of detectives from the State Intelligence Department (SID) led by ACP Mohammed S. Baba.

Over 1,100 already registered SIM cards, three registration machines, and other gadgets were recovered from the suspects.

The sim cards were sold to criminals at a price rate of three to five thousand naira each, compromising national security and facilitating criminal activities such as fraud and terrorism.

The police investigation revealed that the suspects exploited vulnerabilities in the SIM card registration process, highlighting a significant weakness in the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.

In a related development, the police also arrested suspects involved in other crimes, including kidnapping, car theft, gun-running, and trans-border armed robbery. Several vehicles stolen from various parts of the country were recovered from the suspects.

The FCT Police Commissioner, CP Benneth Igweh, spoke at a press briefing at the FCT Police Command Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday June 13, 2024, reiterating his commitment to working with residents to defeat crime in all its forms in the Federal Capital Territory.

The investigation is ongoing, with more arrests expected. The police urge residents to report suspicious activities and cooperate with investigations to prevent further breaches of national security.

CP Igweh said, “The FCT Police Command has been working tirelessly to rid the city of criminality. In our continuous effort to achieve this goal, we have made significant arrests and recoveries.

“On May 29, 2024, our detectives arrested six suspects involved in a national security breach. These suspects were selling already registered sim cards to criminals, compromising our national security and facilitating criminal activities such as fraud and terrorism.

“The investigation revealed that the suspects exploited vulnerabilities in the sim card registration process, highlighting a significant weakness in our telecommunications infrastructure. We have recovered over 1,100 already registered sim cards, three registration machines, and other gadgets from the suspects.

“In addition to this arrest, we have also apprehended suspects involved in other crimes, including kidnapping, car theft, gun-running, and trans-border armed robbery. Several vehicles stolen from various parts of the country were recovered from the suspects.

“I want to assure the residents of FCT that we are committed to working with them to defeat crime in all its forms. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our nation is safe and secure.

“I urge residents to report suspicious activities and cooperate with our investigations to prevent further breaches of national security. Together, we can make our city safer and more secure for everyone.”