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193 foreigners, 599 suspected Nigerian crypto fraudsters arrested

Published

2 years ago

December 17, 2024

193 foreigners, 599 suspected Nigerian crypto fraudsters arrested

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has carried out its largest single-day operation against cryptocurrency and romance scam networks, arresting 193 foreigners and 599 Nigerian suspects in Lagos.

The commission’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed this to journalists in Lagos yesterday.

Uwujaren said among the 193 foreigners are Chinese, Arabs and Filipinos, whom he said were nabbed when the commission’s operatives bursted the gang in a landmark operation in Lagos on December 10.

He said the suspects included 114 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two Kazakhstans, one Pakistani and one Indonesian.

He stated that they were members of a syndicate of cybercrime and cryptocurrency investment fraudsters.

“The suspects were apprehended in a surprise operation at their hideout, an imposing seven-storey edifice known as Big Leaf Building.

“The breakthrough followed actionable intelligence and months of surveillance and monitoring of the activities of the syndicate.

“Investigation established that the foreign nationals used the facility at 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, which could be mistaken for a corporate headquarters of a financial establishment to train their Nigerian accomplices on how to initiate romance and investment scams and also use the identities of Nigerians to perpetrate their criminal activities.

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“All the floors are equipped with high-end desktop computers. On the 5th floor alone, investigators recovered 500 SIM cards of local telcos that were bought for criminal purposes.

“Their Nigerian accomplices were recruited by the foreign kingpins to prospect for victims online through phishing, targeting mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and several others from European countries.

“They usually arm them with desktop computers and mobile devices and create fake profiles for them.

“The Nigerian accomplices are equally provided with logs that allow them access to foreign communication lines and victims, who they chat with on WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram.

“They are also assigned WhatsApp accounts linked to foreign telephone numbers, especially from Germany and Italy.

“Their jobs are to engage victims in romantic conversations and phantom business and investment discussions to trick them into shopping on the purported online investment shopping platform called www.yooto.com. For those who show interest, activation fees for an account on the platform starts from $35,” Uwujaren said.

He said further investigation was ongoing to establish the extent of the scam and the accomplices, including the likelihood of any collaboration with organised international fraud cells.

The EFCC’s spokesman also said that items recovered from the suspects include desktop computers, mobile phones, laptop computers and cars, adding that the suspects have made statements, while their systems have also been screened.

“They are currently being held with a valid remand warrant and will be arraigned in court in the coming days,” he said.

Weak systems escalating fraudulent activities – Experts

In an interview with one of our correspondents last night, a financial crimes’ expert, Johnson Odaudu, attributed lapses in the escalation of fraudulent activities to Nigeria’s weak systems.

“See, there is a wide crack in our institutions ranging from financial institutions to security institutions. The government knows where the lapses are. The only thing we need is the political will to fix it.

“I will not want to use technical terms so that Nigerians can understand. The truth is that, some of our major public financial institutions are responsible for certain transactions.

“If they do their work diligently as expected, all these won’t be happening under our nose without any deterrence,” he said.

Another security expert, Julius Oderinwale, queried how those foreigners entered the country.

He said: “This is where the country is getting it wrong. I don’t want to blame any agency but the truth is that, we are not getting it right anytime soon. Why is it difficult to determine the handiwork of each and every foreigner in this country?

“You will agree with me that there are gaps in the financial and security systems of the country, but that doesn’t mean we should continue this way.

“There is a need to put a system in place to checkmate this kind of development rather than fighting it” he said.

Also speaking on the matter when they appeared on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme, last night, the Secretary General, Follow the Money, an arm of Connected Development (CODE), Muktar Modibbo, and Adamu Rabi’u, a monitoring and evaluation specialist on policy, finance, risk, and good governance, commended the EFCC for the discovery, but underscored the need for Nigerians to help in securing the country.

According to Modibbo, people leaving around the questionable building should have raised the red flag immediately they witnessed the unusual activity around the area. “Securing the country is not solely the responsibility of law enforcement agencies. We have to support them,” he said.

On his part, Rabiu said Immigration, Customs police operatives and various agencies working at our airports, seaports and land borders must rise to the challenge.

“There is no excuse for foreigners to be getting access into our country without genuine reason,” he said.

193 foreigners, 599 suspected Nigerian crypto fraudsters arrested

Related Topics:arrested crypto fraudsters Featured foreigners

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Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

Published

2 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Trends Admin

Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted an 18-year-old man, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, for money laundering after he admitted obtaining $800 from a United States citizen through a fake $250 million lottery scheme.

Justice Dipeolu convicted Olamilekan on October 30, 2026, after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court imposed a fine of ₦200,000 and ordered him to pay an additional ₦1 million to the Federal Government, bringing his total financial obligation to ₦1.2 million. He is to remain in a correctional centre pending payment of the fine and the ordered amount.

The judge also directed the forfeiture of two mobile phones recovered in connection with the offence: an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71.

According to the EFCC, Olamilekan defrauded an American citizen, identified as Gary Brewer, through the Zangi messaging application, where he allegedly impersonated a woman named Julie Leach.

Investigators said the 18-year-old told Brewer that he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed money to activate the winnings before he could collect the supposed prize.

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The fabricated lottery story reportedly persuaded the American to send gift cards worth $800 through the messaging platform.

The EFCC said Olamilekan admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting the proceeds into naira and transferring the money into his grandmother’s OPay account. He also admitted benefiting from the $800 obtained through the transaction.

The commission said the defendant operated several social media and messaging accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage, which investigators linked to his fraudulent activities.

The charge against him accused him of indirectly disguising the origin of $800 in gift cards, which represented proceeds of unlawful activity. The offence was brought under Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Following his guilty plea, an EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, presented the facts of the case before the court. Justice Dipeolu subsequently found him guilty and convicted him.

Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by EFCC operatives during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on October 26, 2026.

The arrest was carried out by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, four days before his conviction.

The EFCC disclosed the conviction in a statement issued on Monday through its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, as part of its ongoing efforts to prosecute financial and cyber-related crimes.

Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

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Footballer Dies as Trailer Rams Car Into Bus on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

3 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Trends Admin

Footballer Dies as Trailer Rams Car Into Bus on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

A footballer has died in a fatal multiple-vehicle crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State after a trailer allegedly rammed into the car conveying him and other members of his football academy.

The accident occurred on Monday, November 2, 2026, around the Magboro axis of the expressway in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The crash reportedly involved a Mercedes-Benz C300 and a commercial bus, with officials of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) and police officers confirming that one person died at the scene.

According to an eyewitness, the footballer and other members of his football academy were travelling in two vehicles to participate in a football match when the incident occurred.

The witness said a trailer suddenly crossed from the opposite side of the road and rammed into the Mercedes-Benz, forcing the car into a commercial bus.

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The collision reportedly killed the footballer inside the Mercedes-Benz, while other occupants of the vehicles survived.

“We were going for a match. We just saw a trailer cross from the other side and hit this Benz, then it hit the bus. Only one person died in the car while the rest of us survived. Everyone in the bus is fine, too. The trailer driver fled with his vehicle afterwards,” the eyewitness said.

The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further alleged that the trailer driver fled the scene with the vehicle immediately after the collision.

The Mercedes-Benz, which had registration number SMK-878KX, was badly damaged in the accident, while efforts were reportedly made to evacuate its wreckage from the expressway.

The identity of the deceased footballer had not been established as of the time of reporting.

The circumstances surrounding the crash, including the alleged escape of the trailer driver, were expected to be investigated by the relevant authorities.

The incident adds to concerns over road safety on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a major route connecting Lagos and several communities in the South-West and other parts of the country.

Footballer Dies as Trailer Rams Car Into Bus on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

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Gunmen Intercept Family Car, Abduct Woman, Two Children, Release Husband in Abuja

Published

3 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Trends Admin

FCT Police Command Spokesperson, CSP Adeh Josephine

Gunmen Intercept Family Car, Abduct Woman, Two Children, Release Husband in Abuja

Gunmen have abducted a woman, identified as Mrs Attah Arome, and her two children after intercepting the family’s vehicle in the Kagini area of Bwari, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The attackers reportedly released her husband, Attah Arome, but took his wife and the two children to an undisclosed location, triggering fresh concerns over the safety of residents in the outskirts of the nation’s capital.

The incident occurred at about 11pm on Sunday, October 25, 2026, as the family was returning from an outing.

According to a report by The Whistler published on Monday, November 2, the gunmen double-crossed the family’s vehicle around Kagini, forcing it to stop before taking the woman and her children away.

A source close to the family confirmed the incident, disclosing that the abductors had contacted relatives and demanded ransom for the victims’ release.

The source, however, declined to disclose the amount demanded by the kidnappers.

“Yes, it’s true. The gunmen double-crossed their car around the Kagini area of Bwari. They released the husband and went away with the wife and two children. They have contacted the family and demanded ransom,” the source said.

The circumstances surrounding the decision to release the husband while abducting the other three family members were not immediately clear.

It was also unclear whether the abductors had given the family a deadline to meet their ransom demand or issued any threats over possible consequences of non-payment.

Efforts by The Whistler to contact the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, CSP Josephine Adeh, for comments were unsuccessful. The police had yet to issue an official statement confirming the abduction as of the time of the report.

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The latest incident comes amid continuing concerns over kidnapping in Bwari Area Council, where several communities have experienced attacks by armed groups.

In March 2026, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported a series of abductions in communities around Byazhin and Peze in Bwari. Residents described repeated attacks on homes and farm settlements, with families reportedly receiving ransom demands.

In another report published in March, Premium Times disclosed that troops of the Nigerian Army’s 7 Guards Battalion, working with police officers and local vigilantes, rescued 19 kidnapped persons during a search-and-rescue operation around Gidan Dogo in Bwari Area Council.

The rescued victims included a retired military officer, children and farm workers who had been abducted in separate attacks.

The recurring incidents have prompted residents to call for stronger security deployments, improved surveillance and a permanent security presence in vulnerable communities.

For the Arome family, however, the immediate concern remains the safe return of the abducted woman and her two children.

Relatives are reportedly facing the difficult task of negotiating with the kidnappers while seeking the intervention of security agencies to secure the victims’ release.