Police Nab Suspected International Fraudsters, Turn Down ₦66m Bribe Offer

Nigerian police arrest suspected international fraudsters and reject a ₦66 million bribe attempt, showcasing their commitment to integrity and justice.

The Zone-2 Police Command in Lagos has arrested two suspected international fraudsters accused of forging foreign certificates and deceiving unsuspecting victims online.

The suspects, named Elvis (23) and Kelly (24), were apprehended after an in-depth investigation conducted by the command’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

AIG Adegoke Fayoade, the overseer of the zone, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

He revealed that the suspects tried to bribe the operatives with N66 million in exchange for their release, but the offer was refused. This incident is reminiscent of a case from November when the same unit rejected a N174 million bribe from another suspect.

Fayoade stated that the suspects were notorious for forging certificates from various countries and African universities. They used these fake documents to deceive people online, with their illegal activities allegedly financing the purchase of luxury cars and properties throughout Nigeria.

The breakthrough occurred when Nigerians living abroad supplied reliable information about the group’s fraudulent activities. Acting on this tip-off, detectives were sent to investigate and apprehend the suspects.

The suspects were traced to a luxury hotel in Osapa-London, Lekki, following their arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Law enforcement observed their activities and ultimately apprehended them at a bus stop as they tried to escape the hotel.

AIG Fayoade praised the Anti-Corruption Unit for their hard work and encouraged citizens to keep supplying actionable intelligence to assist in fighting criminal activities.

During the search of their luggage, a Blue Crest College certificate from Ghana belonging to Elvis and a student ID card from Academic City College identified as Kelly’s were found.

A subsequent search uncovered a transcript of Elvis’s academic record from Blue Crest University.

“A letter of English proficiency from the college and a recommendation letter from Blue Crest College were both obtained,” he stated.

The AIG reported that the suspects provided valuable information to the police and admitted they had never been accepted into the school. They emphasized that their degree certificates were obtained with assistance from a female Nigerian living in Ghana.

The suspects also admitted that their primary motive was to obtain a Ghanaian resident permit, which they achieved.

The residence permit indicates that they are students of Academic City University, even though none of them has ever been admitted to the school.

They stated that they spent a total of 26,000 Ghana Cedis to obtain all the documents.

They admitted to obtaining all the documents to avoid arrest in Ghana because they have no means of supporting themselves.

Whenever the police stopped them, they presented their passports as proof that they were students in Ghana.

Fayoade mentioned that the suspects were allegedly involved in online romance scams and facilitated foreign bank accounts for fraudulent internet transactions through a method they refer to as ‘Facebook bombing.’

He stated that the suspects impersonated an American soldier named Captain Donald Rowe, who was serving in Syria. They used his identity on Instagram to deceive and defraud unsuspecting individuals.

The AIG stated that as detectives were actively trying to obtain more credible information from the suspects, the suspects began negotiating a bribe with the operatives in hopes of securing their release.

I instructed my team to cooperate and retrieve the money as evidence. Consequently, the detectives complied with this strategy, resulting in the suspects handing over N66m, which they collected and secured as evidence.

The Nigerian police authorities have contacted the Ghanaian embassy to gather more information about the results and their suspected partners in Ghana, who are believed to be leading the fraudulent activities.

Fayoade mentioned that they had extended their efforts globally by collaborating with the International Police, Interpol, to apprehend their foreign accomplices.