Zulaiha Danjuma

Hara, a healthcare worker in Kano, fell victim to a sophisticated scam on TikTok. 

KANO FOCUS reports that, a scammer, posing as a married woman based in the US, with Saudi Arabian heritage, gained Hara’s trust.

“I was so excited when she sent me a message,” Hara recalled. “She seemed so kind and genuine, and we started talking about our shared interests. I didn’t think twice about trusting her.”

The scammer sent Hara a photo of a laptop, claiming she would send it to her, along with £9,000. Hara was convinced and sent N75,000 to a microfinance bank account to cover supposed shipping costs.

“I felt like I had won the lottery,” Hara said. “I couldn’t wait to receive the laptop and the money.”

However, when Hara realized she had been scammed, she felt devastated.

“I couldn’t sleep for days, thinking about how I had been so foolish,” she said. “I felt ashamed and anxious, wondering how I would pay my bills or provide for my family.”

This scamming technique is known as “Advanced Fee Fraud,” a situation where scammers request money from their victims before an item or goods is delivered to them or service rendered to them.

The prevalence of advanced fee fraud in Kano is alarming, with many cases going unreported.

Notable cases of advanced fee fraud scammers in Kano include Musa Lurwanu-Maje and Aliyu Hussaini.

Musa Lurwanu-Maje’s modus operandi involved creating fake personas on Facebook and WhatsApp, stealing pictures from random social media users and claiming them as his own.

By using these fake profiles, he deceived unsuspecting individuals, ultimately defrauding them.

Another notable example is the case of Aliyu Hussaini, who posed as a textile seller on Facebook.

He deceived a woman who ordered 14 textiles worth N100,000. Instead of delivering the ordered items, Hussaini sent her rags, defrauding her of her money.

In 2023, the Economic Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned a couple for a N410 million advanced fee fraud in Kano state. This high-profile case highlights the growing concern of advanced fee fraud in the region.

How the Police Force is fighting cyber fraud?

The Kano State Police Command has made numerous arrests of such social media related advanced fee fraud cases but wants to take its fight a notch higher.It is leveraging the federal police force’s digital platform that helps to report such crimes for swift action.

The Nigerian Police Force has a dedicated website specifically for reporting fraud and cybercrime.

The website offers users the ability to report online or social media fraud to the police force from the comfort of their phones and electronic devices.

The website is www.specialfraudunit.org.ng is managed by the NPF under its Special Fraud Unit and offers an essential information database for the police to combat cybercrime.

Various security agencies across Nigeria leverage on the information provided by this dedicated website to track perpetrators and support victims.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said the outfit is happy with the support it is getting from the said digital portal.

SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa

He said in combating social media advanced fee fraud the police Anti-cyber crime and the anti-money laundering units at the Kano State Bompai Police Headquarters are working closely.

“These offices are enabled with modern equipments for policing activities to combat various issues of cybercrimes” he said

SP Kiyawa said aside intelligence gathering and sharing the officers of the Kano State Command Anti-cyber crime units are constantly receiving specialized training, especially in checkmating and investigating social media and internet related fraud.

“We have constant training at divisional levels, command level as well as in the commands department of criminal investigations. We also have an upcoming training on Artificial intelligence (AI) for officers in order for them to understand the emerging technologies and how to best navigate financial internet fraudsters and their schemes” he explained

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer added that the command has dedicated hotlines where the public can call in to report social media fraud.

“We leverage social media a lot, we also have engagements with social media influencers who assist the command to trickle down the message for the need of online safety, detection of misinformation, disinformation, Mal information and fake news that can all possibly lead to fraud”

These efforts have yielded a number of public outcry about fraudulent individuals on their social media interactions that resulted in several arrests by the Kano State Police Command.

The Role of digital verification systems

A Financial Crimes and Data science expert, Dr. Umar Yakubu explained further that incorporating biometrics and the use of blockchain on emerging technologies will minimize the occurrence of financial crimes.

Dr. Umar Yakubu

“Biometrics is a great tool that aids security, with the world now moving away from biometric fingerprints to facial and iris biometrics, these are some of the great tools that can be adopted to enhance data security and identity verification.”

“Blockchains are also great tools as they help to enhance transparency thereby tracking transactions and verifying identities too.”

If only Hara had been aware that the photo on the TikTok account, supposedly belonging to a US-based Saudi Arabian woman, was actually a stolen image used by a scammer, she might have avoided the devastating experience of being defrauded.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has become a crucial tool in combating financial fraud. Its reliable identity verification and transaction monitoring capabilities provide a secure foundation for online interactions, ensuring a safe and trustworthy environment for individuals to engage in financial and social activities.

Engaging social media companies in the fight

According to Dr. Umar Yakubu, social media companies must do more to help fight social media fraud.

“Social media platforms say if someone is below 16 or 18 they can’t sign into their platforms, but in reality, even 10-year-old children are able to open accounts,” Dr. Yakubu said. “This happens because these platforms do not demand proper identification.”

The ability to set up social media accounts without using personal pictures or a real name are among the issues which drive advanced fee fraud on social media, Dr. Yakubu explained.

“Social media offers people the ability to be anonymous, whereby they are able to generate other people’s pictures, use fake names or other people’s names to create fake accounts while posing as those individuals they don’t even know, which makes social media a hotspot for fraudsters.”

To mitigate these issues, Dr. Yakubu explains that the current structure, which is to simply fine social media platforms in cases where their platforms were used for financial fraud, is not enough.

“The penalties these platforms pay are nothing compared to the amount of money they make, so at the end of the day, the penalties are not deterrents enough for them to ensure that people do not have social media accounts until we put up the right and correct identity,” Dr. Yakubu said.

This story is produced under the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Fellowship of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and Co-Develop in partnership with Kano Focus online Newspaper.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa Dederi, has officially ordered the withdrawal of all criminal charges against #EndBadGovernance protesters in Kano State.

KANO FOCUS reports that acting through the Director of Public Prosecution, the decision follows a petition submitted by a Civil Society Organisation, Citizens’ Gavel on November 5, 2024, urging the AGF to exercise his constitutional authority under Section 211(1)(c) of 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Communications Associate, Citizens’ Gavel, Rachael Adio, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that the AGF officially withdrew the case on Monday, January 27.

The petition had called for the dismissal of charges brought against peaceful protesters who were arrested in Kano State during nationwide demonstrations held from August 1 to August 10, 2024.

The organisation lamented that demonstrators faced baseless allegations, including conspiracy to commit treason, unlawful assembly, and public disturbance.

It said fundamental human rights enforcement applications were also filed in court, with Citizens’ Gavel providing free legal support and representation to the affected victims before this landmark decision came.

“Five months after, the withdrawal of these charges marks a significant victory for justice, reaffirming the rights of citizens to peacefully express their grievances without fear of persecution. Citizens’ Gavel commends the Honourable Attorney General of Kano State for upholding the rule of law and respecting the constitutional freedoms of Nigerians.

“We remain committed to advocating for justice, protecting civil liberties, and ensuring accountability within the justice system. We believe that a Nigeria where the rights of the people to dissent and peaceful protest is safeguarded is possible.”

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

A Kano High Court, presided over by Justice Sanusi Ado Ma’aji, has issued an interim order restraining the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kano State Commissioner of Police (CP), and others from inviting, arresting, or harassing the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado.

KANO FOCUS reports that the plaintiffs in the suit include the Kano State Attorney General, the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, and Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, while the defendants are the Nigerian Police Force, the IGP, the AIG Zone One, the Kano Commissioner of Police, ASP Ahmed Bello, and Bala Muhammad Inuwa.

Justice Ma’aji granted the order after an ex parte motion was filed by the plaintiffs.

The court order reads: “An Order of Interim Injunction is hereby granted restraining the Defendants/Respondents, either by themselves, their agents, officers, privies, representatives, or assigns, from further inviting, arresting, detaining, or harassing the officers of the 2nd Plaintiffs/Applicants or interfering with the 2nd and 3rd Plaintiffs/Applicants’ rights in relation to this suit, including compelling him to attend their office in Abuja or any other location in the country on 27th January 2025 or any other subsequent date, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

“An Order of Interim Injunction is hereby granted restraining the Defendants/Respondents from taking any further steps in connection with the matter and directing all parties to maintain status quo ante bellum or stay all actions pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The court also granted leave for the plaintiffs to serve the originating summons on some of the defendants outside the court’s jurisdiction at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The court further appointed Red Star Express Plc., Courier Services, as a special bailiff to deliver the originating processes and subsequent court documents to the concerned defendants in Abuja.

The case was adjourned to 10th February 2025 for the hearing of the motion on notice.

KANO FOCUS reports that the restraining order follows a reported attempt by police operatives to arrest Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado in connection with an investigation into the alleged diversion of N4 billion by the former Managing Director of the Kano Agricultural Supply Company Limited (KASCO), Bala Muhammad Inuwa.

The anti-graft boss had earlier been granted bail but was directed to report to the police headquarters in Abuja on Monday, 27th January 2025, for further questioning.