The vigour with which AIG Ari Mohammed Ali combats crime can be likened to that of a Lion devouring an antelope. As characteristics of him, Ali always brings his passion, vigour, intellectual acumen and professionalism to bear in the discharge of his duties.
A dogged crime buster of note, the quintessential super cop has uniquely etched his name in gold anywhere he serves, so he can be remembered for his good deeds. His great exploit in Delta State while serving as the Commissioner of Police, still remains talk of the town several months after his elevation and deployment to his present office. Contrary to the saying that the higher it goes, the cooler it becomes,
Ali’s fighting spirit against crime and criminality gets intensed with every promotion. This is attested to by the leadership direction and tactics deployed in his supervisory role of Lagos and Ogun States under the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Zone 2 Command Police Boss, is also leveraging on the policing policy of the Acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun PhD, which he described as God sent.
In an interactive session with newsmen recently, AIG Ali promised to do his best at ensuring that officers and men of the Command key into the policing principles and policies of the acting Inspector General of Police.
He emphasised that respect for human rights will be thoroughly upheld, while extra judicial killings and unnecessary abuse of powers will not be tolerated under his watch.
Moving forward, AIG Ali is blazing the trail in the task of ensuring the reduction of crime to the barest minimum in the Zone. Being a tenacious operational officer, he has taken his duty beyond supervisory, conducting night patrol and supervision of officers and men to ensure that Lagos and Ogun states are relatively calm.
Following public outcry of rising wave of cultism, robbery and kidnapping Lagos and Ogun States, AIG Ali gave a marching order to the Commissioners of Police in charge the States to up their game and subdue the trends.
Ali, who commended the efforts of the Police Commissioners in combating the menace, however, pointed out that more measures and actions must be put in place to tame the ugly trends.
Analysing that the security of Lagos is usually used as indices of measuring that of the entire country, the police chieftain posited that Lagos must be kept secured and crime free..
In the light of the result oriented scientific policing approach by the foremost crime busting tactician, not a fewer suspected criminals have been caught by the Zone 2 Police Command dragnet.
In reeling out some of the achievements of the Command, a 43-year-old cleric who hypnotised his US-based friend to collect N105 million from the latter by false presence was amongst the fraudsters netted by the Command.
Parading the suspect before newsmen, AIG Ali Mohammed, said the cleric also charmed his friend’s wife and three children and took them over as his own.
He said the cleric’s wife assisted her husband in the escapade.
Ali said aside from the money and the friend’s family, the cleric and his wife also took over five vehicles and landed property belonging to the U.S.-based friend.
He told newsmen that the suspect confessed to using spiritual means to take over his friend’s family, more than N105 million, and several landed properties in Lagos.
He said the cleric admitted to having bewitched the friend into changing his children’s names and land documents into his.
Mohammed said a complaint was lodged with the police on July 17, 2023, leading to the arrest of the cleric and his wife.
He added that other accomplices of the cleric and his wife were currently at large, but that five people had been arrested over the crime.
“The suspect abducted the petitioner’s wife and children for more than 10 years and subsequently changed their names to his with the help of his wife.
“He converted all the petitioner’s properties to his own, claiming that God directed him to do so. It was God that opened the petitioner’s eyes 10 years later when he realised what he was doing and returned to Nigeria to file his petition,” Mohammed said.
The AIG added that the cleric’s wife confessed to the alteration of the birth documents of the complainant’s children to bear the cleric’s name.
He said that the cleric’s wife also admitted to having received more than 17,000 dollars (about N11.8 million) from the complainant.
In the same vein, operatives attached to the Zone 2 headquarters smashed a syndicate of bank account fraudsters, netting two members of the gang.
Over 1,000 customers’ accounts are said to have been hacked and defrauded across the country by the suspected swindlers.
Identified as Yusuf Ademola, 40, and Adesina Olawale Abiodun, 50, the suspects were arrested at their hideout at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State by detectives attached to the Zonal Monitoring Unit with the aid of modern technology.
The spokesperson of Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Onikan Lagos headquarters, SP Hauwa Idris Adamu in a, said the arrest was based on a petition to the Assistant Inspector General of the Zone Ari Mohammed Ali who detailed the detectives.
According to her, ” On the 8th of May 2023, a petition was submitted by United Bank for Africa (UBA) to the Assistant Inspector General of Police that there are some syndicates that specialize on internet fraud of various banks in Nigeria most especially United Bank for Africa (UBA), in which they hack into customers accounts and move their monies.
” Based on the petition, the AIG raised a team of Detectives from the Zonal Monitoring Unit, swung into action with the aid of modern technology, two suspects; Yusuf Ademola ‘m’ aged 40 years and Adesina Olawale Abiodun aged 50 years were tracked down at their hideout at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
” The suspects confessed to the crime that they have many syndicates all over Nigeria and that they use software to hack into customers’ accounts and move their money undetected from any bank they wish.
” However, the modus operandi of these fraudsters is to have a customer’s BVN linked phone number and bank alert for easy transfer of the money.
“:Consequently, over 1000 customers’ accounts have been hacked and defrauded across the country.
“:Further investigation into the incident revealed that members of the syndicates were drawn from different parts of the country”.
She hinted that efforts are on top gear to arrest all suspects connected with this crime.
In another development, operatives of the Zone also bust a syndicate of car theft trickster and three others over alleged car theft.
The principal suspect, identified as Adams Michael Onoriode was said to be a specialized interstate car thief, who usually tricks his victims and steals their cars.
According to reports, he was nabbed in Edo State alongside three others named, Ojokola Matthew, 40, Osikjena Mercy and Ejeh Esther, 29.
A Toyota Camry Saloon car 2009 model marked BDG 80 HU stolen from one Akolawole Omowunmi from Lagos was also recovered from the suspects.
The Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 2 Command SP Hauwa Idris Adamu, who made the disclosure in a release stated that the principal suspect tricked and collected the key to the car from the victim at a mall in Lekki and sped off.
” On the 8th of May 2023 the petitioner one Akolawole Omowunmi who uses his Silver Toyota Camry Saloon car 2009 model with Registration number BDG 80 HU for Uber services received a call from the Principal suspect ‘Adams’ who booked a ride from Lekki phase 1 at Presken hotel.
” Upon arrival of the petitioner, Mr. Adams told him to cancel the ride and take an offline trip; under the guise of engaging his services for three days, which he obliged.
“:On same day about 2000hrs, Mr. Adams called the petitioner to drive him and his girlfriend to a supermarket in Lekki and the suspect intentionally left his phone in the car and requested all three of them; the Uber driver, the suspect and his girlfriend to go into the mall to shop.
” While at the Mall the suspect deceived the petitioner and collected the car key from him claiming he wanted to take his phone from the car with the above mentioned description.
” When the petitioner waited a while and did not see the suspect return to the mall, he went out of the mall and realized that his car has been removed from where it was parked.
“:The petitioner saw the suspect driving the car on the other side of the road on high speed but could not do anything to stop him as he watched the suspect drove his car off.
” Detectives from Zonal X-Squad Section swung into action while the phone number was tracked and the suspect was identified to be Adams Michael Onoriode with his locations around Edo and Delta state respectively.
” On 24/05/2023, detectives from the Zonal X-Squad moved to Edo/Delta states where the principal suspect and three other suspects were arrested with exhibits and brought to Zonal Headquarters. Investigation is ongoing and suspects will soon be charged to court, please”, the Zone 2 Command spokesperson stated.
In what could be described as a spectacular feat, four suspected kidnappers believed to have encroached from neighbouring, met their waterloo, having succumbed to the superior fire power of operatives in a gun duel.
Four AK-47 rifles, six magazines loaded with 20 live ammunition, 10 expended ammunition and one unregistered Bajaj motorcycle were recovered from them.
Our correspondent gathered that they were neutralised during a hot exchange of gun battle in their hideout at a forest along Ibara Orile Ogun State by operatives attached to the Zonal Monitoring Unit of the Zonal Command.
It was learnt that the invasion of the criminal den was consequent upon a directive by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Zone, AIG Ali Mohammed based on an intelligence report.
The Zonal Command Spokesperson, SP Hauwa Idris Adamu in a statement made available to journalists, said investigation revealed that members of the syndicate were drawn from different parts of the country while some of them came from the neighboring countries of Niger and Chad respectively.
It reads”, On the 6th day of May, 2023 at about 1800hrs intelligence was given to the AIG Ari Mohammed Ali fcia, that a syndicate of kidnappers who have been terrorizing Abeokuta (the capital of Ogun State) and its environs were seen somewhere suspected to be their hideout.
” Consequently, a team of Detectives from the Zonal Monitoring Unit* swung into action; on sighting the Police in their hideout at a forest along Ibara Orile Ogun State, the kidnappers engaged the Detectives in a gun duel where four kidnappers were neutralized while others escaped with bullet wounds.
” Thereafter, when the hideout was later searched, One (1) unregistered Bajaj Motorcycle, Four (4) AK47 rifles, Six (6) magazines loaded with 20 live ammunition, 10 expended ammunition were recovered. Further investigation into the incident revealed that members of the syndicate were drawn from different parts of the country while some of them came from the neighboring countries of Niger and Chad respectively”.