Fake Air Force officer arrested over three-year fraud scheme in Lagos

Published

5 hours ago

February 24, 2026

A 27-year-old man, Yusuf Abdullahi, has been arrested in Lagos for allegedly impersonating a serving officer of the Nigerian Air Force and defrauding traders across major markets in the state in what authorities describe as a long-running scheme.

Military officials said the suspect operated by presenting himself as an Air Force personnel, using military camouflage to gain the confidence of unsuspecting traders before collecting goods and issuing fake bank transfer alerts.

His activities, investigators said, spanned several markets in Lagos and went undetected for years.

The operation came to an end on February 18, 2026, when traders at Ladipo Market raised an alarm over a man dressed in military attire who allegedly obtained goods without making valid payments.

He was initially restrained by traders before officers from the Ladipo Police Division intervened and took him into custody.

Confirming the arrest, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, NAFRC, Commander Patricia Ochei, said the suspect claimed to be a serving Air Force personnel attached to 055 Camp, Lagos, prompting the involvement of military police from NAFRC.

According to her, verification carried out by the Air Force revealed that Abdullahi was neither a serving member nor a former personnel of the Nigerian Air Force.

“He is an impostor who deliberately exploited military identity to gain trust and defraud members of the public. This was his established modus operandi before his arrest,” Ochei said.

She added that investigations further showed the vehicle used by the suspect was not a military vehicle but one assigned to him for commercial Uber operations.

“The vehicle has since been recovered and is currently at the Ladipo Police Station,” she disclosed.

Ochei revealed that the suspect had previously appeared on security watchlists, noting that officers at the 651 Nigerian Air Force Base, Ikeja, later confirmed that his photograph had circulated among security units following similar incidents reported at Oshodi and Alaba International markets.

“Investigations indicate that his activities spanned more than three years, during which he allegedly defrauded traders at Trade Fair, Ladipo and Alaba markets using fake transfer alerts,” she said, adding that at least five victims had so far come forward to identify him.

“Among them is an elderly woman who said she lost more than N300,000 to the suspect,” Ochei added.

During questioning, Abdullahi reportedly admitted obtaining the military camouflage from a friend and said he was drawn into crime in July while working as a commercial motorcyclist between Iyana-Ipaja and Oshodi.

“I started wearing the camouflage when a man called Sergeant Samuel gave me the uniform to work as security at a party. I was paid N35,000 for that job,” the suspect was quoted as saying.

He, however, failed to provide details about the whereabouts of the said Samuel or explain how he came into possession of the special forces uniform and dagger allegedly recovered from him at the time of arrest.

Before being handed over to the police, the suspect was confronted by five individuals who claimed he had defrauded them in the past. He reportedly denied wrongdoing, insisting that network failures prevented successful transfers.

On efforts to apprehend other members of the alleged syndicate, including the individual said to have supplied the camouflage, Commander Ochei reaffirmed the military’s zero-tolerance stance on impersonation.

“Investigations are ongoing. The Armed Forces will continue to work with the police, relevant stakeholders and members of the public to identify impostors and ensure they face the full weight of the law,” she said.

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Fire Guts Murtala Mohammed Airport

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Fire Guts Murtala Mohammed Airport

Published

16 hours ago

February 23, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

A fire outbreak has occurred at the old Terminal 1 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, a facility currently undergoing a multibillion-naira reconstruction.

Details regarding the cause and extent of the blaze were still unclear as of the time of filing this report.

The affected terminal is part of ongoing upgrade works aimed at modernising the airport’s infrastructure.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria confirmed the incident in a statement shared on social media, assuring the public that no lives were lost.

In a statement, the authority said: “FAAN wishes to inform the public of a fire outbreak at Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Our firefighting team is currently responding and working to contain the situation. No loss of life has been recorded.”

FAAN disclosed that firefighters and other emergency responders were swiftly deployed to the scene to contain the fire.

Eyewitnesses reported that individuals around the terminal hurried to safety as the flames spread.

Efforts to completely extinguish the fire were ongoing at the time of this report, while the cause of the outbreak had yet to be determined.

The airport remains under close monitoring as emergency personnel continue to secure the affected area.

The development comes nearly two years after a similar incident was recorded at the international wing of the airport.

On September 6, 2023, FAAN announced that a suspected electrical spark at the baggage hall ceiling caused a smoke incident at Terminal 1 of the airport. The authority stated at the time that the source of the smoke was traced to a burning lithium-ion battery installation in the basement.

Further updates are expected as investigations into the latest incident continue.

Man arrested during his child’s naming ceremony in a church for st+aling 3 goats in Ogun State

Published

1 day ago

February 23, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Operatives of the Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps, popularly known as So-Safe Corps, have arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly st+aling three goats in Ipokia Local Council of Ogun State.

The suspect, Emmanuel Awahnse, was apprehended inside a church during the naming ceremony of his child.

The Corps Commander, Dr Soji Ganzallo, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued in Abeokuta by the Director of Information, ACC Adegunwa Adegbuyi.

Ganzallo said the suspect was first sighted on February 6, 2026, at about 5:00 a.m. by operatives attached to the Ifonyintedo Division during a routine patrol along the Madoga–Ita-Ege road. He was reportedly riding a motorcycle with an accomplice and carrying a black bag.

On noticing the operatives, the suspects allegedly sped off. During the chase, they abandoned the motorcycle and the bag, which was later discovered to contain three goats.

Following the incident, the Area Commander, Ipokia Area Command, ACC Aliu Yusuf, ordered the formation of a surveillance team to track down the fleeing suspects.

Ganzallo said Awahnse, also known as Ariwo Oja and a native of Odoforo in Ipokia Local Council, was eventually arrested on February 19 at about 1:30 p.m.

He added that the suspect allegedly confessed during preliminary investigation that he and an accomplice, identified as Ketonsu, also known as Ijagun, st+le the goats in Ifonyintedo.

The suspect and the recovered exhibits have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Idiroko Division, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Chaos engulfs Mexican Airports and cities after Cartel Leader ‘El Mencho’ is k!lled

Published

1 day ago

February 23, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Mexico has been plunged into widespread turmoil following the de@th of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as “El Mencho”, the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

The Mexican Army confirmed that Oseguera and several of his top aides were k!lled during a coordinated military operation on Sunday, February 22, in the state of Jalisco.

The operation, designed to capture the notorious drug lord, triggered immediate and violent retaliation across multiple regions of the country.

Within hours of the announcement of El Mencho’s de@th, cartel fighters launched an aggressive and chaotic response. Armed groups set fire to vehicles, blocked highways with burning roadblocks, and clashed with security forces in at least six states, including Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, and Nayarit.

Major urban centres such as Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta were particularly affected as roads were rendered impassable and residents were urged to stay indoors for safety.

Footage circulating on social media showed dark plumes of smoke rising over Puerto Vallarta’s skyline, prompting fears among tourists and locals alike.

The immediate chaos spilled into major travel hubs. Videos shared widely online showed panic among travellers at Guadalajara International Airport, with people fleeing or seeking cover after reports of nearby gunfire and cartel activity. Airlines, including Air Canada, United Airlines, Aeromexico, and American Airlines, suspended flights to and from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara as a safety precaution.

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