Wilfred Bonse, the gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Cross Rivers State during the 2023 elections has been arrested by the police in the state.
The politician was arrested following case of a cybercrime perpetrated against Patricia Technologies to the tune of N607 million.
Disclosing this, the Nigeria Police Force PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, during a briefing in Abuja said the ensuing investigation revealed a far-reaching criminal conspiracy involving the unauthorised modification of computer systems and network data and the unlawful diversion of funds totalling over N607 million belonging to the petitioner.
In 2022, Patricia, a cryptocurrency trading platform was breached, leading the company to petition the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The incident resulted in a loss of funds belonging to depositors and led to the suspension of the platform to curtail further compromise of depositors’ funds.
READ ALSO: Impersonation: Ogun Monarch To Spend Six Months In Prison
Meanwhile, an accountant with the Cross River Ministry of Education was shot on Wednesday after gunmen followed him to the old Government Secretariat, near Government House, in Calabar.
The accountant, who was shot in the thigh, was followed to the secretariat from a bank where he had gone to make some withdrawals.
The two gunmen were said to have followed the victim to his office complex, where they forcefully snatched the bag containing money from him after shooting him at close range.
According to SP Irene Ugbo, a spokesperson for the state Police Command, who corroborated the report, the victim was promptly transferred to the Naval Referral Hospital for medical assistance.
Ugbo decried the incident, saying that the police were already on the trail of the armed robbers, who were alleged to be following the victim on his motorbike.
It was discovered that the city has recently seen an increase in motorbike robberies.