Detectives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Lagos, have arrested two women for allegedly spreading a false claim that Access Bank Plc would shut down operations, in one of several major breakthroughs recorded by the unit between June and September.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Annex, AIG Simeon Akpanudom, disclosed this on Friday while briefing reporters on the department’s activities between June 25 and September 18.

He said the suspects, Idorenyin Umoh and her associate, Fineness Monday Esu, were traced to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and arrested after a petition from Access Bank’s lawyers linked them to a Facebook post claiming the bank would close on 23 September and urging customers to withdraw their funds.

According to the AIG, the two women admitted belonging to a WhatsApp group where the message originated before it was copied to a Facebook account with over 12,000 followers, triggering wider circulation on other platforms. They have since been arraigned before the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Akpanudom also disclosed that INTERPOL rescued 36 victims of human trafficking during the period, with one victim repatriated and efforts ongoing to arrest the suspected traffickers.

In another case, operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit arrested four men for vandalising telecommunications facilities across Lagos and southeastern Nigeria between March and May, following a petition from ATC Telecommunications’ lawyers. The AIG said the hoodlums stole equipment worth about N150 million, including solar batteries, solar panels, generators and other modules.

Those arrested were named as Abuchi Odikemere, 29; Anyanwu Emmanuel, 28; Kayode Segun, 28; and Emmanuel Chineku, 17. They were traced to a shop in Kosofe area of Lagos.

Akpanudom said exhibits recovered from the suspects included two surveillance cameras, 52 solar batteries, three small solar panels, two solar meters, a hammer and a chisel.

He added that the suspects would be charged to court, while efforts continue to track down other members of the syndicate still at large.

Detectives also arrested four suspects, including a woman accused of receiving stolen goods, over a shop-breaking incident at Ogudu, Ojota, in which armed hoodlums made away with mobile phones, smart watches, power banks and other items valued at about N20 million. The AIG said the suspects confessed to selling most of the items to a cross-border buyer and have been charged to court.

Giving an overview of the department’s caseload, Akpanudom said FCID Annex, Lagos received 1,816 petitions during the period, of which 1,803 were referred for investigation, nine sent to state police commands, and four dismissed as civil matters. He added that 24 cases were concluded and processed in court, while others remain at various stages of investigation and legal review.

The AIG said the outcomes reflected ongoing efforts to boost the department’s investigative capacity, including specialised training for 17 personnel, infrastructure upgrades at the Annex, and closer collaboration with agencies such as the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and NAFDAC.

He thanked the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu and supervising DIG Margaret Ochalla for their support, and urged members of the public to continue providing credible information to aid crime prevention. (The Nation)