Two persons on Wednesday appeared before the Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for obtaining N13 million on a false pretence of changing it to dollars.
The defendants are Christina Oyeleye, a 39-year-old female banker and Adelana Adewusi, a 39-year-old tech man.
They are being trialed for conspiracy, obtaining by a false pretence, stealing and issuing a dud cheque.
The prosecutor, Raji Akeem, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on October 7, 2022, at Oko Oba, Agege, Lagos.
Mr Akeem said the second defendant, Mr Adewusi, introduced the first defendant to the complainant, Esther Adesanya, as a banker that could help her change naira to dollars.
He said the complainant paid N13 million into the second defendant’s account to help her send it to the first defendant to change it to dollars which amounted to $14,000.
The prosecutor said that since then, all efforts by the complainant to get her money have failed.
Mr Akeem also said the defendants gave the complainant a cheque, and on getting to the bank, it was dishonoured because of insufficient funds.
He said the offences contravened the Criminal Code, Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The chief magistrate, Bola Osunsanmi, granted the defendants N1 million bail each with two sureties in like sum.
Ms Osunsanmi adjourned the case until March 30 for mention.
The Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, December 8, 2022, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Oblete Sunday Nazarethe before Justice N. I. Afolabi of the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa State on one count charge bordering on Internet fraud.
The charge reads:
“That you, Oblete Sunday Nazarethe sometime in May, 2021 in Makurdi, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Christopher Conway through his Instagram username with screenshot No-20210519024301.png claiming to be a transgender with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(i) and punishable under Section 22 (2)(b)(iv) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention etc) Act, 2015″.
A statement released by Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of the state police command, says the defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge. Upon his plea, the prosecution counsel, M. Yusuf prayed the Court to convict and sentence him as charged.
Justice Afolabi convicted and sentenced Nazarethe to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N100, 000.00.
The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned one Emmanuel Adewunmi Jayeoba alongside his son, Adewale Daniel Jayeoba, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, whp disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, October 12, said the defendants were re-arraigned on a 14-count amended information bordering on money laundering to the tune of N5, 697, 029, 685 ( Five Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety –seven Million, Twenty-Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty- Five Naira) One of the counts reads:
“ That you, Adewale Daniel Jayeoba and Emmanuel Adewunmi Jayeoba, between 2019 and 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to use the aggregate sum of N5.697,029,685 (Five Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety seven Million, Twenty nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty five Naira), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of your unlawful activity to wit: carrying on banking business without valid license and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
They pleaded “not guilty “to the offence. In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Chinenye Okezie, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
In response, counsel to the defendants, I.A. Raji, informed the court that the defendants had previously been granted bail by Justice Nicholas Oweibo. He, however, told the court that the defendants had not been able to perfect the bail conditions.
The defence counsel, therefore, prayed the court for a short date for the hearing of the bail variation.
Justice Aneke adjourned the matter to October 17, 2022 and December 6, 2022 for hearing of the bail application and trial respectively.
The Judge also ordered the defendants to be remanded in prison custody.
NFL free agent, Antonio Brown is being sued for allegedly selling a man a fake $160,000 Richard Mille watch.
A man named Ryan Kane has filed a lawsuit in Broward County, FL. where Brown resides alleging the former football star ‘knew [it] was a fake but represented [the watch] to be genuine.’
In the lawsuit, filed earlier this week, Kane is suing the ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout for fraud, among other things. The plaintiff is seeking $160,000 plus interest for his troubles.
Less than two months later, Kane reportedly took the watch for appraisal in Miami, only to learn it was a fake and that Brown had purchased it from Dubai, alongside three other Richard Mille fakes for less than $500 a piece from a dealer.
Brown allegedly told Kane the watch was an RM 011 model worth ‘in excess of $400,000.’
The watch Kane thought he had purchased was released in 2007 in conjunction with Formula 1 driver, Felipe Massa.
The former NFL star is yet to comment on the matter.
The Special Task Force in Uttar Pradesh, India has arrested a Nigerian man who allegedly duped a 64-year-old retired Aeronautics engineer of Rs 9 lakh (N131m) by posing as a German woman on social media.
The accused identified as Jerome Balla aka Sunday Dumka, 34, was arrested from Delhi on Thursday, September 15, 2022. Police recovered six mobile phones, three SIM cards, one Nigerian voter ID card, Mastercard and photocopy of a passport from his possession.
STF said that the accused is the member of the gang involved in online fraud, particularly duping older men by luring them into friendship impersonating as women.
The accused posed as a woman on his social media profile and took the money from the victim, a resident of Alambagh, Lucknow, in the name of sending him gifts on her birthday. The man lodged a case with the Cyber police.
ASP, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh, said that the suspect created a fake profile identifying him as Analisa Thompson of Berlin and befriended the victim through Facebook.
Last year, the suspect sent a message stating that ‘she’ wanted to send some gift on her birthday and asked the victim to send his address.
“A few days later, I got a call from a man regarding a parcel and was asked to deposit Rs 20,000 as income tax. I did the payment.
A few days later I got another call, this time from a woman, and was asked to deposit Rs 52,000 as charges/tax for the gift which was 60,000 in Great Britain currency. Since the money was huge, I did not doubt and deposited this amount also,” he said.
Later, he was told to deposit Rs 3.98 lakh as the final sum which was assessed as charges for getting the gift and foreign money.
“While I was eagerly waiting for the gift, another person sent me a letter asking me to deposit Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 8.28 lakh,” he said.
He said they took money in the name of RBI charges/fees. He said these e-mails made him cautious and he went to the RBI to inquire about the same and was told that he had been cheated. ASP Singh said the arrested man was named in several cases of cyber fraud in Lucknow.
During interrogation, the accused revealed that he visited India in 2017. He then married a girl from India in 2018 and has been living in Delhi since then.
The police added that the accused created several IDs on various social media platforms and used to display pictures of foreign people to trap the victims. The accused befriended the victims by impersonating as a man or woman from America, Germany or elsewhere.
He even talked to them on phone by using voice changer software. With a promise to marry the victims, the accused vowed to send them lavish gifts. Later, he would call them up as a Customs officer and pressure victims to pay ‘customs duty’ on the items received.
According to the police, the accused also duped people by threatening to trap them in money laundering case and asked them to send money to various bank accounts.
On February 20, 2020, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission published a press release announcing the arrest and expected prosecution of Mohammed Audu for allegedly siphoning off “several million US dollars and billions of naira” donated to the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
The EFCC further alleged that Mr. Audu diverted the funds for his personal use through his companies, Mediterranean Hotels Limited and Mediterranean Sports.
However, new findings from PREMIUM TIMES showed that the anti-corruption agency misled the public on the matter, as the agency currently has no case against Mr. Audu.
This newspaper found that after the statement was issued, the EFCC questioned Mr. Audu but did not establish any wrongdoing against him and his businesses. The anti-corruption agency did not issue an indictment or charge him.
Sources inside the agency said that after the officers questioned him and cleared him as having no case to answer, Mr. Audu asked the EFCC to issue a public statement indicating that the published accusations against him were not true. The businessman had argued that the initial statement about his arrest was damaging his reputation and his business.
However, the anti-corruption agency has not yet issued such a statement.
Seizing the opportunity of the NFF probe
At the time Mr Audu was smeared, the EFCC was investigating Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials for allegations of embezzlement of sponsorship funds. The investigation was triggered by a request that agents later determined was without merit.
One of the sponsors, Aiteo, had retained Mr. Audu’s company, Mediterranean Sports, as the agent through which the sponsorship funds were routed through Bismark Rewane’s Financial Derivatives to the NFF.
It was based on his involvement in the sports agency company that he was invited by the EFCC and publicly shamed for alleged fraud. But neither he nor the company were ever prosecuted or charged.
PREMIUM TIMES understands that Mr. Audu’s repeated pleas to the EFCC to issue another statement to clear his name have yet to be considered.
EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren did not return repeated calls or respond to a text message requesting comment for this report.
This outlet also wrote to the agency seeking an update on Mr. Audu’s case. There was no response after our letter despite repeated reminders.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja has since 2019 acquitted all NFF officials indicted by the Federal Ministry of Justice on the sponsorship deals allegations.
The court based its verdict on the prosecution’s withdrawal of the charges after the April 2019 Presidential Special Investigation Panel report that cleared officials of the NFF and its partners, including Audu’s Mediterranean Sports.
The EFCC’s investigation of the NFF was based on the same issues of alleged misappropriation of sponsorship funds that the court judged. Following the court ruling, the EFCC closed its investigation.
However, Mr. Audu’s request that the anti-corruption agency issue a public statement exempting him and his companies from any wrongdoing has not been met, authorities said.
Operatives of Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) ,Ikoyi, Lagos, have arrested one George Ewere and his wife for alleged N52 million fraud.
The spokesman for the PSFU, SP Eyitayo Johnson, said in a statement on Monday that the suspects were arrested for conspiracy, cyber fraud/business email compromise, criminal conversion and stealing.
He said the arrest of the couple followed a petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police, PSFU by a law firm, Athan Ogbulie & Co., alleging diversion of the sum through Inter-Bank wire transfer of the funds.
The statement read: “The suspect and members of the syndicate targeted and compromised the email accounts of businesses that frequently make wire payments and waited for the right time to substitute the original account that should receive the money.
According to the suspect, the hack which happened in February 2022 was achieved by spoofing on the victim company’s email account/website.
Which makes it possible to carry out slight variations to the legitimate email address of the company in order to fool the victim into thinking the fake accounts are authentic.
“Spear phishing emails were also sent to the company to gain access to company accounts, calendars and data.”
Johnson said some of the funds which were diverted into five different banks had been recovered.
“Some of money which was diverted into accounts belonging to the suspect, his wife and daughter has been recovered as exhibit.
“While effort is on to locate the rest of the funds and other members of the syndicate.
“Part of the money was also discovered to have been withdrawn via Point-of-Sale (POS)and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at different locations.
Nigerian businessman and internet celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was arraigned alongside his firm, Ismalob Global Investment Limited before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on 8 charges bordering on alleged money laundering of over 6billion naira
The offence is contrary to relevant sections of the Advance Fee Fraud Act of 2006 and the EFCC Act of 2004.
In the counts, the defendants were accused of conspiracy to launder funds obtained through unlawful activity, retention of such funds, transfer of funds for a suspect Olayinka Jimoh popularly known as Nappy Boy, and unlawful transfer of funds for a record label, among others.
The EFCC also alleged that Mompha concealed his interest in expensive wristwatches and other movable assets valued at over 70 million naira.
Mompha pleaded not guilty to the charges on behalf of his company, Islamob Limited.
Justice Dada has ordered his remand in the custody of the EFCC till January 18th when his bail application will be heard.
This is the second case in which the EFCC is charging Mompha. He is standing trial for the first at the Federal High Court, Lagos on an amended 22-count bordering on cyber-fraud and money laundering to the tune of 32.9bn naira.
He was re-arrested by operatives of the EFCC on January 10, for laundering funds obtained through unlawful activities and retention of alleged proceeds of crime.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned the Deputy Bursar at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, IIyasu Abdulrauf Bello, at the Kaduna State High Court for alleged N6 million fraud.
He was arraigned on a one-count charge of fraud by the commission.
The EFCC alleged that IIyasu, who is also the Acting Chairman of the ABU chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), took advantage of his office to steal the money from the association’s account.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, J. Musa, asked the court o fix a date for the commencement of the trial.
The defence counsel, J. H. Dacep, filed an application for his client’s bail.
Justice Darius Khobo granted him granted the defendant bail to the sum of N2 million with one surety in like sum.
The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has banned a former Omuada (head of servants) in his palace, Roland Ogbebor, for allegedly posing as the second in command to the king and also engaging in other sacrilegious acts.
Roland was also said to have been involved in land grabbing, extortion, intimidation and fraud since he was relieved of his post by His Royal Majesty.
In a statement in Benin City on Tuesday, to announce the formal banning of the Omuada on behalf of the Benin Monarch, the Secretary, Benin Traditional Council (BTC) Mr Frank Irabor, said the ban is “extended to his participation at all Oba Palace traditional establishments and functions, including spiritual groups, activities, festivals, shrines and, oguedion in the Benin Kingdom.”
According to Irabor, since his suspension as the Omuada, Ogbebor has been acting “as a wolf in sheep clothing and a trickster”
Irabor noted that the former Omuada was also involved in what he described as an “abominable and sacrilegious” act of parading himself as the second in command to His Royal Majesty.
He said: “Furthermore, he paraded himself as deputizing for Palace Authority to the extent of being addressed in an abominable manner as the second in command to His Royal Majesty. This is sacrilege and abomination, punishable by customary laws of our tradition.
“He has also behaved in treacherous ways to the Throne that is akin to being a traitor. He has been able to do this by disguising himself as a wolf in sheep clothing and a confidence trickster. He believed that his services to the Throne were indispensable.”
While stating that an overhauling of the palace administrative system to put an end to such act exhibited by Ogbebor is ongoing, Irabor urged members of the public who may have issues with Ogbebor that has to do with land grabbing to report to concerned security agencies copying the palace.
“Any person or village or community that has an issue with Roland especially on land grabbing, extortion, intimidation, impersonation and fraud, is strongly advised to send written complaints to the Secretary, Benin Traditional Council, or the Police, or Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, copying Benin Traditional Council,” he added.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn its suit seeking the forfeiture of N20 billion bailout funds granted to the Kogi State Government by a new generation bank.
The anti-graft agency had alleged that the money, meant for the payment of Kogi workers, was kept in an interest-yielding account with the bank by officials of the state government.
Ripples Nigeria reported that the EFCC had made an ex-parte application before the court, which according to the agency, was in line with section 44(2) of the Constitution and section 34(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act and under the court’s jurisdiction.
Following the ex-parte application, the state government threatened to take legal action against the EFCC, accusing the anti-graft agency of a deliberate attempt to malign the integrity of the state governor, Yahaya Bello.
In the latest development, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke granted the order of withdrawal on Friday sequel to a motion filed and argued by the EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN.
Pinheiro listed six grounds upon which the judge granted the prayer, adding that “the EFCC is a responsible body”.
According to him, one of the grounds was that questions resulting in the commencement of the suit had been clarified, and an intention had been shown to return the sum of N19,333,333,333.36 to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Delivering his judgement, Justice Aneke held: “I have listened to the submission of the learned Silk for the application, Mr Kemi Pinheiro SAN vis-a-vis perused the motion to withdraw. My humble opinion is that application is meritorious and ought to be granted. Accordingly, the application is granted as prayed.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released the identities of 35 Nigerians arrested over an alleged $117million fraud in the United States.
The acting US Attorney, Prerak Shah, who addressed a press conference on Thursday, said the suspects allegedly defrauded over 100 people across the country.
She noted that the suspects were accused of conducting romance schemes to defraud and steal from unsuspecting older American victims.
Shah said the suspects used fake names on dating sites to prey on their targets including widowed and divorced, adding that they would face charges for money laundering and wire scam.
She disclosed that more than 20,000 people in the US lost $600 million in romance scams last year.
According to her, the victims were made to build trust with the scammers who lured the victims with fake stories and then request large sums of monies.
The Attorney revealed that 11 suspects were arrested in the Northern District of Texas while 24 others were picked up in Texas Eastern District.
The suspects face up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and 10 years for money laundering.
Some of the suspects are – David Animashaun (38), Oluwalobamise Michael Moses (40), Irabor Fatarr Musa (51), Ijeoma Okoro (31), Chukwemeka Orji (36), and Emanuel Stanley Orji (35).
Others are – Frederick Orji (37), Uwadiale Esezobor, (36), Victor Idowu (36), Afeez Abiola Alao (37), and Ambrose Sunday Ohide (47).
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday sentenced a retired Naval Captain, Jerry Ogbonna, to 13 years imprisonment for N45 million fraud.
The Head of Media and Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement, said the commission arraigned Ogbonna alongside his company, Obyke System Consult Limited, on a five-count charge of fraud.
The commission said the convicts obtained the sum of N45 million from a bank by falsely claiming that the fund represented the mobilisation fee from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
The convict had previously appeared before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court in 2016 before the case was struck out after several attempts to have him take his plea proved abortive.
The matter was subsequently re-assigned to Justice Dada while Ogbonna was arraigned on April 19, 2018.
When the trial commenced on January 14, 2019, the prosecution counsel, Anslem Ozioko, called six witnesses and tendered several pieces of evidence to prove his case against the convict.
Justice Dada found the defendant guilty on the charges and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on count one; seven years on count two and three years on count five.
She also ordered the wounding up of the company and payment of a N5 million fine by the convict.
A senior Cardinal and nine others are set to face trial for alleged financial recklessness at the Vatican.
The alleged financial malfeasance was linked to the purchase of a plush property by the defendants in London.
The Italian Cardinal, Angelo Becciu, who is a close ally of Pope Francis, will appear before a tribunal on July 27.
The 73-year-old was dismissed from a powerful Vatican job last September after he was accused of siphoning charity funds to help his siblings.
The charges against Becciu include embezzlement, abuse of power, and witness tampering in the case leading to a loss-making Vatican investment in Central London under his watch.
Before his dismissal, Becciu led the Vatican’s department on sainthood.
He was also the Substitute for General Affairs, a role likened to Chief of Staff in Vatican’s central bureaucracy from 2011 to 2018.
But in a statement on Saturday, the Catholic priest insisted he is innocent.
The cardinal maintained that he had been pilloried by the media and pleaded for a chance to prove his innocence.
According to reports, the Vatican lost several million Euros on the London property and other bad investments.
Other defendants in the case are Rene Bruelhart, the Swiss former head of Financial Information Authority.
Bruelhart will face charges for abuse of power as will Enrico Crasso, an investment fund manager who controlled millions of Euros including private donations to the Church.
A young upcoming artiste Wisekid whose real name is Hosea Yohanna, has finally spoken after being accused of music fraud over his duplication of superstar singer, Wizkid’s album.
Wisekid had been playing a fast one on many unsuspecting Wizkid fans on Apple music by uploading a replica of ‘Made in Lagos’ album, leading to a diversion of some traffic to himself.
According to Africa Facts, Wisekid has been raking in N30 million monthly off the album which has gone on to amass a total of 9.3 million streams since October 2020 that he uploaded the replicated ‘Lasgidi Made’.
After being called out on the fraud, he deleted his Twitter account @wisekidaya and created a new one with username @wisekidayaa and tried to defend his action.
He wrote;
”ok you guys reported my account and started trending wisekid?
”And I heard a clown saying wizkid should sue me. do u guys even know what’s fraud??
Did I answer same name with wizkid? Did I name my album made in Lagos?
The Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday March 24, 2021 arraigned the trio of Afekhai Aliu, Felix Victor and James Blessing Anne before Justice Efe Ikponwonba on a six count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence.
They are alleged to have defrauded one Ikhaigbode Jimoh Oya by claiming to be Custom Officers in charge of auctioning confiscated vehicle at Idiroko, Ogun State.
One of the counts reads. “James Blessings Anne, Felix Victor and Afekhai Aliu Obaadugbo on or about the 10th of December, 2018 at Benin with the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N216,000 (Two Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Naira) as part payment for two vehicles from Ikhaigbode Jimoh Oya who you represented yourselves to as Custom Officers in charge of the auction of confiscated vehicles at Idiroko capable of selling a Lexus 350 and Mercedes ML 350 SUV to him, which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence”.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Moses Arumemi prayed the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the defendants in custody. However, the defence counsel, S. O. Osazuwa prayed the court to grant his clients bail as the alleged offence was bailabĺe.
Justice Ikponwonba granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N500,000 each and a surety in like sum. The surety should be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
The case was adjourned till May 20, 2021 for hearing.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) on Monday arraigned one Nanpan Salihu Yaniyang at the State High Court, Ikeja, for alleged fraud.
The commission, according to a statement on its Twitter handle, arraigned Yaniyang on a four-count charge of stealing and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N17,449,000 and $6,300.
One of the charges read: “Nanpan Salihu Yaniyang, sometime in 2020 in Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N17,449,000 (Seventeen Million Four Hundred and Forty-nine Thousand Naira)from Valerie Okoli and her co-investors under the pretence that you would help them incorporate a company, and use the said fund to invest in Forex, which pretext you knew or ought to know is false.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read out to him.
The EFCC counsel, Ayanfe Ogunsina, asked the court to pick a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.
But the defence counsel, Cyril Ebeh, informed the court that he had filed an application for his client’s bail
Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe adjourned the case till March 29.
A couple, Ebiesuwa Abayomi Fredrick and his wife, Tinuola Idayat Oyegunle, was on Monday sentenced to 40 years imprisonment each by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State.
They were found guilty on all four counts of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence brought against them by the Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
The couple, in what was regarded as a classic advance fee fraud scheme, fleeced one Dunni Olateru Olagbegi N53,713,260.00 in cash and bank transfer through a spiritual cleansing gambit in order to avoid calamitous consequence of mysterious sudden death having heard conversation by a syndicate about a Ghana- Must –Go bag stuffed with United States Dollar bills in the boot of a car. She was also tricked into bringing funds to cleanse the supposed USD bills.
The victim had sometimes in May 2013, boarded a taxi cab with three other passengers who, unknown to her, were members of a syndicate of fraudsters. As soon as she entered the vehicle, she heard the three other supposed passengers arguing about a Ghana-Must-Go bag filled with US Dollars in the boot of the car.
Moments later, one of the syndicate member told her that she must be cleansed to avert sudden and mysterious death having heard their discussion. She was taken to an unknown destination, where she subsequently started giving the defendants, and the other members of the syndicate (at large) various sums in cash and bank payment totaling N53,713,260.00 to buy instruments for the cleansing of United States Dollar notes, which she allegedly sourced from the sale of her properties in both Ibadan and Lagos.
According to a statement made available by Head, media and publicity of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, in the course of investigation, It was discovered that over N9m was paid into the second defendant, Tinuola Idayat Oyegunle’s account domiciled in one of the third generation banks; apart from other funds traced to the first defendant, Ebiesuwa Abayomi Fredrick’s account.
It was also discovered that the first defendant built Victoria East Park Hotel & Suite located at Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos State from the proceeds of the crime.
In his judgment, Justice Abdulmalik found the couple guilty of the four-count charge and sentenced both of them to 10 years imprisonment on each of the four counts. However, while Ebiesuwa’s prison term takes effect from June 19, 2017 when he was arrested, Tinuola’s time in the Custodial Centre will start counting from May 26, 2017 when she was arrested.
The Judge also ordered that Victoria East Park Hotel & Suite, “be sold and the proceed, if not up to N53,713,260.00 be returned to the victim in the case and if it exceeds, the balance be paid into the Federal Government’s account”.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Ebiesuwa Abayomi Fredrick, Tinuola Idayat Oyegunle and (others still at large) between 28 March,2014 at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, with intent to defraud did obtain by false pretense, the sum of Nine Million, Three Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand, One Hundred Naira (N9,352,100.00) only, from one Dunni Olateru-Olagbegi, under the pretense that the money was to be used to purchase instrument for the cleansing of United States of American Dollar notes, which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) & (2) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2016.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday, January 29, arrested 10 suspects over computer-related fraud known as ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’
A statement released by the antigraft agency states that the suspects were arrested at their Academy in Bwari axis of Abuja where they were said to be learning the trade of cyber trickery.
The suspects aged between 20 and 30 years, were identified as Sixtus Jude, Moses Samuel, Isalan Johnny, Dapet Nimshak, Samuel Ogboche, Victor Samuel, Victor Asuquo, Ibrahim Yunusa, Yahaya Usman and Chijoke Ikwuoha.
They were arrested with different incriminating items such as mobile phones and computers.The promoter of the Academy is however on the run. Investigations showed that the sponsor recruits and train young individuals who show interest in internet fraud.
The sponsor gets his percentage of their earnings based on an agreement between him and the recruits. He also serves as a conduit for laundering the money gotten from internet fraud by some of the suspects. The suspects will be prosecuted when investigation is completed.
The agency said its operatives arrested six of the culprits at their hideout in Ayegbami area of the ancient town following a tip-off while the two brothers were arrested in their home.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested eight men suspected to be internet fraudsters in Osogbo, Osun State.
The suspects, identified as Adepoju Akinrinmade; his brother, Adeniyi Akinrinmade, were arrested alongside six others: Dennis Oluwamuyiwa, Oni Oluwaseyi, Adeyemo Adeyinka, Aborisade Abayomi, Goodluck Olatayo, and Gbolahan Sodiq, on Thursday.
The agency said its operatives arrested six of the culprits at their hideout in Ayegbami area of the ancient town following a tip-off while the two brothers were arrested in their home.
Items recovered from the suspects include two cars, laptops and mobile phones.
According to the EFCC, the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
