All the information you need can be gleaned from the following EFCC press releases.

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40,000 Passports Seized in Oluwole Raid

Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, yesterday said over 40,000 Nigerian Passports, including official ones, were recovered during the recent raid on Oluwole, a notorious area in Lagos Island noted for document forgery and counterfeiting.

The IGP, who made the disclosure while briefing the press in Lagos said 1,500 foreign passports, including those of Libya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Senegal, Switzer-land., the Gambia, South Africa, United States, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Ghana were recovered. Also recovered from the raid were about 50,000 assorted foreign cheques and over 500 printing plates.

Other seizures made, according to Ehindero, include over 500 computers, about 10, 000 blank British Airways tickets, about 10, 000 United States Postal Money Order and blank certificates of occupancy.The IGP said 115 suspects were arrested. Seventy-seven of the suspects, he said, were later set free for lack of sufficient evidence to warrant their detention.

Ehindero said the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the State Security Services (SSS) combined to conduct the Oluwole raid aimed at dismantling the notorious criminal black spot, where all forms of stolen and forged documents were openly traded in Central Lagos.

According to him, President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was concerned with the threat to security by the nefarious activities going on in the area had directed that a committee, comprising of the Police, the FCT Minister, SSS, Immigration and the EFCC clean up the area and other similar locations, where counterfeiting and forgery were prevalent in Lagos.

Thirty-eight persons, who specialised in forging anything under the sun, were yesterday paraded in Lagos by Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero. The suspects were arrested during a raid of the notorious Oluwole area of Lagos, by a combined force of four security agencies.

Stunned by the range of recovered forged documents, including 4,000 Nigerian passports, 50,000 assorted foreign cheques, 10,000 blank British Airways tickets and 10,000 United States Postal Money Order, the police boss said Nigeria would have been better off, if the skill, creativity and imagination exhibited by some of the young suspects had been channeled to other lawful endeavour.

On display were forged bank statement of accounts, several stamps and seals, various International passports, forged blank marriage certificates, death certificates, certificates of Incorporation of Companies, forged certificates of occupancies, International driver's licences, Postal Orders, foreign bank cheques, fake United States dollars, Printing plates for various foreign bank cheques, forged university degrees and NYSC certificates.

Also recovered were 1,500 foreign passports of countries such as Chad, Libya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Congo, Cameroun, Senegal, Switzerland, Gambia, South Africa, United States, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Ghana.Ehindero also mentioned the seizure of 500 computers, Customs documents, seals and stamps, photocopiers, binding machines and wraps of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.

Pointing out that Oluwole area of central Lagos has, over the years, been notorious as criminal black spot where all forms of stolen and forged documents are openly traded, Ehindero, who addressed reporters and police officers at the officers mess, Onikan, said: "The last few years had witnessed the detriment of our national image, a high preponderance of forged documents emanating from Oluwole being used in complex advance fee fraud, scams, fake cheque scams, immigration scams etc in several foreign countries particularly in Europe, North America and Asia."

http://www.efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=535 (click for more details)

Thirty-eight persons, who specialised in forging anything under the sun, were yesterday paraded in Lagos by Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero. The suspects were arrested during a raid of the notorious Oluwole area of Lagos, by a combined force of four security agencies.

Stunned by the range of recovered forged documents, including 4,000 Nigerian passports, 50,000 assorted foreign cheques, 10,000 blank British Airways tickets and 10,000 United States Postal Money Order, the police boss said Nigeria would have been better off, if the skill, creativity and imagination exhibited by some of the young suspects had been channeled to other lawful endeavour.

On display were forged bank statement of accounts, several stamps and seals, various International passports, forged blank marriage certificates, death certificates, certificates of Incorporation of Companies, forged certificates of occupancies, International driver's licences, Postal Orders, foreign bank cheques, fake United States dollars, Printing plates for various foreign bank cheques, forged university degrees and NYSC certificates.

Also recovered were 1,500 foreign passports of countries such as Chad, Libya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Congo, Cameroun, Senegal, Switzerland, Gambia, South Africa, United States, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Ghana.Ehindero also mentioned the seizure of 500 computers, Customs documents, seals and stamps, photocopiers, binding machines and wraps of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.

Pointing out that Oluwole area of central Lagos has, over the years, been notorious as criminal black spot where all forms of stolen and forged documents are openly traded, Ehindero, who addressed reporters and police officers at the officers mess, Onikan, said: "The last few years had witnessed the detriment of our national image, a high preponderance of forged documents emanating from Oluwole being used in complex advance fee fraud, scams, fake cheque scams, immigration scams etc in several foreign countries particularly in Europe, North America and Asia."

http://www.efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=535 (click for more information)

I read this on our national dailies and I was speechless.

I managed to say Wow!

Nigerians where are we going?

Curruption of the highest order.

A feather on Ehindero's cap.

is there no summary for this whole story?

Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, yesterday said over 40,000 Nigerian Passports, including official ones, were recovered during the recent raid on Oluwole, a notorious area in Lagos Island noted for document forgery and counterfeiting.


The IGP, who made the disclosure while briefing the press in Lagos said 1,500 foreign passports, including those of Libya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Senegal, Switzer-land., the Gambia, South Africa, United States, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Ghana were recovered. Also recovered from the raid were about 50,000 assorted foreign cheques and over 500 printing plates.

Other seizures made, according to Ehindero, include over 500 computers, about 10, 000 blank British Airways tickets, about 10, 000 United States Postal Money Order and blank certificates of occupancy.

The IGP said 115 suspects were arrested. Seventy-seven of the suspects, he said, were later set free for lack of sufficient evidence to warrant their detention.

Ehindero said the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the State Security Services (SSS) combined to conduct the Oluwole raid aimed at dismantling the notorious criminal black spot, where all forms of stolen and forged documents were openly traded in Central Lagos.

Source:

This is just an excerpt of the news. I am just too shocked, that even I am out of comments.

This is good news. The are capturing them now.

Kudos to the new IGP. The police know most of the robbers and 419's, their haven, masters and collaborators. They should go after them with full "force".

I am not impressed in the least.
They should start with the Presidency, INEC, National Assembly, Ministers and Advisers, Governors [ some with forged papers] and their Aids, Pastors and Imams, PDP Hierarchy, Politicians of all shades, Government praise singers , Emergency contractors, Police, Customs and immigration services/ personnel, Official and unofficial 419ners, First ladies ,before touching the poor ''Oluwole'' people

Guys, guys, please give me a break here. All these have been in existence for years and security authoririties have known about the capabilities of these notorious characters for ages. It baffles me when I hear/see comments that air suprise about all these. What I know that you all underestimate is that "the State" through it's security agencies have more than enough information on a lot of things you think they don't know. What's more they are involved in the circle of crime.

Secondly, Nigeria is not the most corrupt nation . No, No, No . Nigeria is the country where unrefined/crude forms of crime and corruption exists- this is a better definition.

We are backwards in every aspect of it. In the Western world crude forgery is a thing of the past they did this years ago . we are just getting to better the skill, in Nigeria. When it comes to kick back, they did this years ago and better. Presently we are still behind because in Nigeria we openly collect kick-backs and money transfers to known accounts without conceiling it.
When it comes to corporate crimes we are still behind. In Nigeria top-shots just throw secrecy in the wind when doing it. In the western world it's very very very technical, its so well done that it's transparent and often protected by the law.

What I expect Nigerian's to be suprised at is the manner in which all this has existed all these years and "the state " knew about it. Just to clear the air The Nigerian Immigration and Police have seized several fake passports and recovered valid visa's on foreign passports at ports of entry/exit in times past- how come nobody ever investigated further - Tell me .

How come to this day, 85% of Nigerian's in Western countries all hide from the immigration agencies out there ? If they had valid papers would the hide ?

How come nobody ever thinks how very important documents find their way into the hands of funny characters that know less about themselves let alone the document they have in hand ?

Have you ever wondered how Nigerian's just site here in Nigeria but are able to issue cheques to their 419 accomplice oversees ?

We have EFCC ? How many foreign cases of 419 irrespective of the amount involved have they decided to investigate to a dead end, tracing Network, manner of dissemination, transfer routes , e.t.c .

Once I believed Security operatives with the knowledge, would swarm on Cyber cafes and hit 419 syndicate, No it didn't happen I was wrong, instead we have heard of tales of how Security operatives occassionly run into Cafe's just to terrorize the innocent ones after collecting bribe from the real crooks to let them go.

Cyber cafe owners have paid fees that have exemted them from these raids. Tell me do you really think these fraud crimes would ever have been attacked, had the president not intervened because he was a victim ?

Nigeria, I hail thee not!

You see when it comes to "Cyber Syndicates" as you call them, it is really hard to tell, except people start reporting who is who. If you understand what I mean. A law official can't just walk into the cafe and halting everybody and checking. It has to start from the Cafe owners, most of them know these guys.

Ehindero heard he was beign impersonated. He tracked it down to oluwole and decided to arrest them all. This is stupid! There is no sincerity of purpose. They made the arrests cos d nefarious activaties(in oluwole) touch their skin as well. If not, no one would have cared.

Methinks, they only succeded in "relocating" oluwole.

Baby-A:

I am not impressed in the least.
They should start with the Presidency, INEC, National Assembly, Ministers and Advisers, Governors [ some with forged papers] and their Aids, Pastors and Imams, PDP Hierarchy, Politicians of all shades, Government praise singers , Emergency contractors, Police, Customs and immigration services/ personnel, Official and unofficial 419ners, First ladies ,before touching the poor ''Oluwole'' people

I strongly agree with you. Why do we alwys decive oursleves . The goverment think by acting in some way they can redeem their image. Its everywhere however its paramount in the very top places. I am not impressed at all

We need to strive to encourage good behaviour and reject bad behaviour. Whe we see a child doing good, we encourage and not give in to bad behaviour. The same goes for government. We need to be positive in our outlook to recognise good and abhor bad.

Im tired of Nigerians reading negativity into every good did. The fact of acknowledging good did does not mean we are blind to their bad deeds. In the end, we are not better than the people we are criticizing.

great22:



I strongly agree with you. Why do we alwys decive oursleves . The goverment think by acting in some way they can redeem their image. Its everywhere however its paramount in the very top places. I am not impressed at all

Good point, Bibi. When we praise them for their good action, they will tend to do more!

My fellow Nigerians, I have been living outside for some time now but whenver I hear or read something about Nigeria it is always negative. I have even had to be absent purposely from my work in order to avoid me working mates stares and jokes when Nigerians are shown nationwide on the network Tv because of drugs traffiking/forgery or very negative attitudes because no matter where I am I always speak very positively of Nigeria 'cause "no place is like home".

I think we should always encourage any positive measure taken by any Nigerian authority to rid Nigeria of these negative and nocive elements(fraudsters), so congratulations to NIgerian Police Force. Remember it is better late than never.

God job!!! But why did it take them this long to do something about it when it has been an open secret forever

corruption should be tackled from the top (our leaders) that would improve the economy and then the petty fraudsters will fade away naturally.

Na today?

Those people have been there for years and the Police is happy to raid them occasionally and extort.

The place will re-open shortly and continue business as usual

The IGP said 115 suspects were arrested. Seventy-seven of the suspects, he said, were later set free for lack of sufficient evidence to warrant their detention.

I think they meant to write

"seventy-seven of the suspects, he said, were later set free because they had enough money at the time grease the police palms"

lol   

With all these mounting evidence, I'm beginning to think that the Yourubas, no matter how highly placed, have, as part of their DNA, the inherent nature of stealing. Apology to my Yoruba friends out there, but I'm just speechless.

Is it possible that Seun might want to pilfer something somewhere if given the opportunity?

Is it possible that Seun might want to pilfer something somewhere if given the opportunity?

I no dey o!!

ono:

With all these mounting evidence, I'm beginning to think that the Yourubas, no matter how highly placed, have, as part of their DNA, the inherent nature of stealing. Apology to my Yoruba friends out there, but I'm just speechless.

Is it possible that Seun might want to pilfer something somewhere if given the opportunity?

What are you apologising for, when you have stylishly insulted them to their faces? A segment of one particular society messes up, and you turn round to say there is a defect in ALL members of that society, isn't that a bare-faced insult?

If someone said  everyone in the Niger-Delta people is either a thief or a kidnapper, simply because the militants in that area have been taking foreign oil workers hostage, would you say they were right or wrong?

achike:

.this what the Yoruba's do best

Am sure the yoruba people will give you an appropriate answer, soon. But in the meantime, tell us. . . what do your own people do best?  

achike:

my own people are very hardworking.they excess in Jamb.they are the best nigeria has to offer.

They 'excess' in Jamb. . . . indeed!

As for the best Nigeria has to offer, well, those can be found in every ethnic group in this land!

Yeeeee! I'm finished! How am I supposed to get a Master's Degree now?

@achike

how come all your people "excessed" in JAMB and became the best Nigeria has to offer, yet only you refused to EXCESS?

Yeeeeeee! Achike, you're finished too! How are you now going to EXCESS in JAMB?

I bet thats where you get your papers from cos majority of the guys are 'shinedus' .

Oluwole=Yoruba university of forgery
95% of all certs from SW are from Oluwole

Sunday, February 22, 2009
I got my fake Ife, UI, NYSC certificates for N350,000

By AKIN OYEDELE

NOTHING in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Ingenuity will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."



Ogunshola




Had Olusola Ogunshola come across this wise saying of Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States of America, in his quest to earn a living through honest means, maybe he would have been singing a song different from the one he now sings at the headquarters of the Oyo State Police Command, where he is now cooling off.

Born 51 years ago in Sagamu, Ogun State, Ogunshola said he had tried his hands on many things since he finished from Oke Ibadan Boys High School, Ibadan, in 1974. He was a petty trader, clergy, and fish farmer at different times in order to secure honest livelihood. He didn't have a major breakthrough, he said.

In 1987, he said he struck an idea to travel abroad to seek the proverbial greener pasture, which landed him in trouble 21 years after.

Legitimately, Ogunshola did not possess more than a school certificate, but he goes about parading himself as a lawyer and pastor to swindle unsuspecting members of the public. It will be difficult for anybody to believe that the Bachelor's of Law certificate of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University); Master's of Law degree certificate of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan (which he 'bagged' even before the university began postgraduate degree in law); the National Youth Service Corps certificate; call to Bar certificate and the identity card of the Nigeria Bar Association, found in his possession, were forged.

Not only that, the suspect confessed in an interview with our correspondent that he "stole" the stamp and letterhead of a law firm, S. O. Alli and Co. And to complete his bogus identity, he said he purchased a lawyer's wig and gown, with a shirt to match in Lagos, when he finally decided to pass for a lawyer. Before he was excommunicated when his deals became known to the church authority, Ogunshola was also a 'pastor' with the Global Harvest Church, where he 'cast and bound' the devil and its agents for several years. The official stamp of the church, a disused locally-made gun, two international passports and some fake certificates of occupancy were also among his haul.

The Commissioner of Police at the state command, Mr. Bashiru Azeez, said that the suspect was nabbed over a N362,000 shady deal that went awry.

Azeez said, "His cup became full when one of his victims reported that the transaction between them began on February 15, 2006 when the victim met the suspect at their church.

"The victim had told him that he needed the services of a lawyer to verify the genuineness of a property in Lagos State, which was introduced to him for purchase and to process the certificate of occupancy in respect of the property.

"To his enquiry, the suspect responded that he was a barrister and could render him the legal services. The victim was pleased at this development; that he had found a lawyer pastor in whom he could repose absolute trust."

Pronto, the victim was said to have made available the sum charged by the 'lawyer' in order not to lose the property to other interested buyers. That became his undoing. Ogunshola went to work and before you could say Babatunde Fashola, he had produced a purported C of O and other legal documents on the property, which the CP said were later discovered to be forged. Had the suspect refunded the money, probably the victim would have kept this secret, but he began to dilly-dally, as months of unfulfilled promises turned to years.

But on Thursday, Ogunshola cut the image of a pensive rogue, who having realised the gravity of his offence, would pose as a fowl beaten by the rain in his wig and robe.

Asked how he came about the certificates found in his possession, he said that it was in 1987 when he was desperate to travel out of the country that he encountered one late Ishiaku, who procured the documents for him at a fee of N350,000. Before his accomplice died in an auto accident (if he was not being economical with the truth), he said he was in the process of securing a Canadian visa with his fake certificates. Asked why he needed to go to that extent to secure a visa, he claimed that the idea was that of his late accomplice to smoothen the process. His dream however vanished with the death of Ishiaku.

His good command of English language notwithstanding, he said he could not further his education beyond secondary school due to lack of financial support from his struggling parents. His memory failed him when asked how he met the late accomplice and where.

He said the death of his partner dealt him a devastating blow that he did not know how to pick up the pieces of his life, having lost his life savings from his petty trading to the ambition.

Ogunshola insisted that he never defrauded his victim, who he identified as one Kayode Oresanya. Rather, he said that a link person that he contracted to secure the C of O from the Office of Surveyor General in Lagos "collected the money and ran away."

He said, "I was no longer making use of the certificates. The police found them in my store. I never went to court or took a brief from anybody. I acquired those things when I wanted to travel abroad. When the Canada thing failed, Ishiaku still promised to help me before he died in an accident. I inherited the old gun they found in my house from my father. Go and check it very well, it is an old useless gun."

In a rare display of 'honesty,' he said that he stole the S.O. Alli and Co. stamp and letterhead when he had an opportunity of being at the law firm when they were relocating to another office.

His countenance dropped and he almost ended the interview when asked whether he was still a pastor, to which he declared "I will not answer that question."

Asked why he could not venture into any neat business with N350,000 as far back as 1987, he said his ambition was to live big and do well with his family. Now he said he had put his wife and two kids in a quandary.

Querying the rationale behind his arrest for a deal that was about three-years-old, he said he had already promised to refund the money to Oresanya before he (Oresanya) decided to invite the police. The suspect said that his income from his fish farming business could barely sustain him now, which explains why he told his victim to tarry a while.

If given another opportunity, he said he would turn a new leaf now that he had realised the position of law on his activities.

Hear him, "I feel frustrated with my life because of the serious setback I suffered when I could not travel abroad. I have repented. I regretted my action. I can't do it again. I was a petty trader at a point, but I thought my life will be better. Now, I know better."

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/feb/22/412.html