Comparing me to Hushpuppi is an insult – Invictus Obi

Convicted Nigerian fraudster, Obinwanne Okeke alias Invictus Obi, says it is an insult to compare him with suspected cyber-fraudster, Ramon ”Hushpuppi” Abass, Yahoo News reports.

Invictus, who is currently serving a 10-year sentence in a US prison for $11m fraud, said while he took to fraud in order to empower the less fortunate in Nigeria, Hushpuppi defrauded people in order to show off on social media.

While Invictus has been convicted, Hushpuppi is currently facing criminal charges money laundering.

Responding to a question on his similarity with Hushpuppi, Invictus said, “It’s insulting. Hushpuppi and I are not on the same level. Hushpuppi could never achieve what I achieved. He cannot run a business and we are not similar in any way. He was out to please the crowd, I was out to change lives, create jobs and conquer the business world. I have done so much for my community back home with my charity foundation, which lives has he helped? Nobody.”

When asked if he disliked Hushpuppi, Invictus responded, “No I have never met him, but I just find the continued comparison very annoying. Our impact on the world is very different. I have made a much more positive contribution to society than he has.”

Invictus, who was named on Forbes Africa 30 under 30 in 2016, also went down memory lane, narrating how he became a fraudster.

He said; “I was doing a little here and there but the level changed through this one particular friend I used to look up to. I visited him one day and he was living very comfortably with three new cars and a huge house at a young age. When at his house I noticed him on a website www.vionz.to that was selling crypto and bank logins.

“I asked him about the website and he showed me that he buys bank and crypto logins from there and easily withdraws above $20,000 at a time; that’s how he was funding his lifestyle. In 15 minutes he demonstrated it to me and from there I tried it myself when I got home.

After successfully doing my first transfer so easily, it was hard to stop after that. From there I got introduced to other money making schemes that got me where I am today.”

On what he missed the most about the outside world, Invictus said he missed his family and his business.

Federal High Court orders forfeiture of N235.4 million linked to Invictus Obi

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of N235.4 million traced to the account of convicted fraudster, Okeke Obinwanne known as Invictus Obi to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

This came after the Chief Executive Officer of Invictus Group pleaded guilty to two charges of computer fraud and wire fraud after his arrest in the United States. 

Justice Liman had on March 23, 2020, ordered the interim forfeiture of the money domiciled in First City Monument Bank (FCMB) following an ex parte application dated December 18, 2019, by the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He also ordered the commission to advertise same in any national newspaper for anyone to show cause why the said money should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Serving an update on the case, Spokesperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren said Justice Liman has ordered a final forfeiture of the sum. 

It was gathered that the final forfeiture order was granted after EFCC counsel, I. Sulaiman, prayed for the confiscation.

Okeke who made it into Forbes Africa’s Under 30 List in 2016, was nabbed for $11 million fraud after an official account belonging to a steel company’s CEO was hacked. The FBI was contacted about the scam by the representatives of Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and firm equipment.