 |
| Samson Inegbenesun, 30, Blessed Junior, 32 and Muhammed Zakari 36, |
 |
| Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku |
Operatives
of the Nigeria Police Cybercrime Unit, INTERPOL National Central Bureau
(NCB), Abuja have arrested three suspects; Samson Inegbenesun, 30,
Blessed Junior, 32 and Muhammed Zakari 36, all male from Uromi in Edo State,
for cyber-related offences including advance fee fraud, money laundering and
romance scam.
The suspects
were arrested in Uromi, following investigations into suspected fraudulent
online procurement and supply of COVID-19 protective mask, received through the
INTERPOL NCB Wiesbaden, Germany.
Investigations
reveal that Samson Inegbenosun, an internet fraudster and a member of a Turkey-based
online scamming syndicate, supplied foreign and local bank accounts to receive
fraudulent funds and use same as conduit to other feeder accounts.
Meanwhile,
the Police have recovered from him, a building apartment worth N20,000,000.00,
a Toyota RAV-4 2015 model worth N6,500,000.00 and a Toyota Matrix 2002
model valued at N2,000,000.00 which he procured with the proceeds of the
crime.
The second
suspect, Blessed Junior, returned to Nigeria from Italy in February, 2020, but
maintained close contacts and illicit dealings with his Italian associates.
Investigations reveal that he has made over N120,000,000.00 from
internet fraud and other cybercrime dealings.
He also
received the sum of 52,000 EUROs recently from his criminal associates in Italy
as commission for his active involvement in an international cybercrime deal.
He also owns a filling station established with the proceeds of the crime.
Mohammed
Zakari, an expert in internet fraud, identity theft and impersonation, claimed
to be a British citizen. He also poses to be one Kelly Galk on online dating
apps which he uses to carry out romance scams and to defraud unsuspecting
members of the public, locally and internationally. Investigation reveals he
has made millions of naira from his illicit cybercrime transactions since he
joined the syndicate.
In a similar development, Police
operatives have successfully rescued an American citizen who was confined in a
Lagos hotel where she was held
against her wish for over a year.
The victim who hails from Washington
DC, USA, is a retired civil servant in the US. She reached Nigeria on February
13, 2019, on a visit to Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku, 34, a native of Ikeduru LGA of
Imo State whom she met on Facebook.
She was however rescued by Police
operatives attached to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Ogun State Annex
following information received from a patriotic and civic minded Nigerian in
the Meran area of Lagos State.
The rescue of the American lady is
coming on the heels of a similar case of abducted Philippino lady who was lured
to Nigeria by her supposed lover whom she equally met on Facebook.
Investigations reveal that the
suspect, Chukwuebuka Kasi Obiaku is a graduate of Business Administration and
Management and an internet fraudster who has defrauded many unsuspecting
members of the public both locally and internationally.
Chukwuebuka deliberately lured the
victim into the country under the pretext of love and deceitfully married her on
May 15, 2019. He subsequently held her captive in a hotel, extorted from her
monies amounting to a total of 48,000-USD.
He also collected and took control
of her credit and debit cards as well as the operation of her bank accounts
including the receipt of her monthly retirement benefits and allowances over the
period of fifteen (15) months. Chukwuebuka also used the victim as a front to
defraud her associates and other foreign personalities and companies.
All the suspects will be charged to
court on conclusion of investigation and prosecuted in line with the Cybercrime
Prevention/Prohibition Act, 2015.
DCP FRANK MBA
FORCE
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE
HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA
No comments:
Post a Comment