The South-South Professional & Transparency Initiatives (SSPTI) has criticized a recent viral video released by INTERPOL, which labeled individuals and groups in Nigeria as the most active in internet fraud and human trafficking globally, calling the report false, baseless, and unfounded.
SSPTI highlighted that the report’s mention of the Black Axe Confraternity, a now non-existent group in Nigeria, demonstrates INTERPOL’s desperation to justify the significant funding it receives for combating cyber crimes and human trafficking. The organization emphasized that internet fraud is a global issue that should not be attributed to any single group or race.
In a statement to the press, SSPTI expressed concern that the INTERPOL report showed bias against Nigerians, aiming to damage the country’s image and discredit the Nigeria Police Force, which is recognized as one of the best in Africa. SSPTI’s analysis suggested that INTERPOL’s findings were based on assumptions and unverified information, as the report failed to identify or show any members of the purported group involved in the alleged crimes.
The statement, signed by Dr. Ugochukwu Alozie and Engr. Kayode Ayomide, SSPTI’s Chairman and Secretary respectively, urged the international community to disregard the report, describing it as a fabrication by INTERPOL to justify its budget allocations.
SSPTI’s statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to a viral video released by INTERPOL, accusing Nigerians and the non-existent Black Axe Confraternity of global internet fraud and human trafficking. After careful analysis, we found the report to be false, baseless, and founded on assumptions and street gossip, aimed at discrediting Nigeria, particularly the exceptional Nigeria Police Force, before the international community.”
“We believe the report was fabricated out of desperation by INTERPOL to justify the substantial security funding it receives to combat internet fraud and other crimes globally. It is laughable that no members of the so-called Confraternity were shown as arrested, instead using images of foreigners, mostly women, supposedly detained outside Nigeria.”
“It is absurd to narrow down cyber crimes and related offenses to a specific nation or group, as these issues are global phenomena affecting all races and are often more prevalent in advanced countries than in developing ones,” the statement concluded.
