IGP to Criminal Syndicates: We Are Coming For You

.Police arraign three for hacking Lotus Bank, iverting N60m

Linus Aleke in Abuja and Wale Igbintade in Lagos

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has challenged criminal syndicates operating in Nigeria, stating that operatives of the Force are now deployed and equipped to deny them freedom of action.

Also three men have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into Lotus Bank’s core banking system and fraudulently diverting over N60 million.

Egbetokun issued warning to criminal syndicates operating in Nigeria yesterday in Abuja, during the inauguration and deployment of 59 armoured Toyota Hilux vehicles for special operations.

Inaugurating the operational assets at the Force Headquarters in Abuja yesterday, Egbetokun said the Force now has stronger tools to match determination with capability.

He said, “An institution earns credibility not by words, but by the results it is able to deliver. The Nigeria Police Force is judged by how safe our people feel, how quickly we respond, and how firmly we stand against lawlessness. These 59 armoured Toyota Hilux vehicles, commissioned today in Abuja, are evidence that this Force does not trade in promises — it delivers capacity.

“To those who challenge law and order in our country, this commissioning sends a direct message. The Police Force now has stronger tools to match determination with capability. Criminal groups will no longer enjoy the advantage of mobility or surprise. These Hiluxes will carry our officers into contested spaces — and return with results.”

Stating that every operation conducted with these vehicles must be lawful, proportionate, and decisive, Egbetokun warned that tactical advantage must never become an excuse for abuse.

Officers, he said, must remember at all times that the legitimacy of the Nigeria Police Force rests not in force alone, but in professionalism and respect for the rule of law.

“We will judge ourselves not by the ceremony of today but by the results of tomorrow. Safer communities, lower crime rates, and restored confidence — that is the measure that matters. Nothing less will be acceptable,” he said.

On the operational assets, the IGP explained that 

each of the Hilux is purpose-built for high-risk operations.

“The vehicles are armoured against hostile fire, equipped for mobility across diverse terrains, and designed for durability, they provide our tactical units with the protection and speed they need to dominate the field. They are not ceremonial assets — they are operational reinforcements for missions that test the very resilience of our officers,” he said. 

To the commanders and tactical units who will take custody of these Hiluxes, Egbetokun said accountability would be total.

“These vehicles must never sit idle while Nigerians face danger. They must never be diverted for private errands or misused in ways that diminish the integrity of this Force. They are operational assets, and they will be monitored as such,” he told them.

Meanwhile, three men that allegedly hacked into Lotus Bank’s core banking system named as Mohammed Abubakar, Isiyaka Hussein, and Musa Mohammed were charged by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, with conspiracy, cybercrime, and money laundering-related offences.

According to the prosecution, the defendants, along with others still at large, allegedly compromised the bank’s core banking application on September 17, 2024.

They allegedly created multiple fictitious accounts and transferred a total of N60,479,480 into accounts belonging to themselves and their accomplices.

The police said the alleged offences contravene Sections 27(b), 14(4), and 16(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act (as amended) 2024, as well as Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

They were also charged under Section 383(2)(a) of the Criminal Code Act.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Friday Ogazi ordered their remand at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) pending the hearing of their bail applications, which is scheduled for October 10, 2025.

Parts of the charges read: “That you, Mohammed Abubakar ‘M’, Isiyaka Hussein ‘M’, Musa Mohammed ‘M’ and others at large, on or about the 17th day of September, 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: computer-related fraud, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act (as amended) 2024 and punishable under Section 27(2) of the same Act.

“That you, Mohammed Abubakar ‘M’, Isiyaka Hussein ‘M’, Musa Mohammed ‘M’ and others now at large, on or about September 17, 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently compromised Lotus Bank’s core banking application and converted the sum of N25,000,000.00, which was transferred from Lotus Bank Ltd to Lotus Bank Account Number 1003083007 with account name Mohammed Khalid Abubakar, Lotus Bank Account Number 1001212357 with account name Aishat Talatu Jibrin, and other private accounts, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”