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Nigerian national extradited from Malaysia sentenced to eight years imprisonment in US for $6.3 million fraud.

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Nigerian national extradited from Malaysia sentences to eight years imprisonment in US for $6.3 million fraud.
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Nigerian national extradited from Malaysia sentenced to eight years imprisonment in US for $6.3 million fraud.

A 39-year-old Nigerian national, Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji, was sentenced in New Haven, Connecticut, to eight years in prison for operating a business email compromise scheme out of multiple countries, including the United States.

Osuji was sentenced on Wednesday, December 4, 2024,  two years after he was arrested in Malaysia and extradited to the United States in 2022.

The United States Department of Justice announced this in a statement on Thursday, December 5.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Osuji and his co-conspirators targeted specific individuals and businesses by masquerading as trustworthy entities in electronic communications to obtain money.

They used witting and unwitting “money mules” to receive fraud proceeds in their bank accounts and then either transferred those funds from the money mule accounts to accounts under the co-conspirators’ control or converted the stolen proceeds to cash for further transfer.

Over the years-long operation of the scheme, numerous victims were tricked into transferring funds into bank accounts the victims believed were under the control of legitimate recipients as part of normal business operations. In reality, the bank accounts were controlled by Osuji and his co-conspirators.

The victims included a Connecticut-based financial company, a Colorado-based lending company, an Alaska-based nonprofit performing arts organization, a New York-based food and beverage company, and many others.

The scheme also involved the exploitation of elderly individuals through romance scams to serve as some of the unwitting money mules, including one woman who testified at trial that she was duped into sending her own personal savings and income, including Social Security checks, to an individual she believed to be her romantic partner, but who was in fact one of Osuji’s co-conspirators.

The scam resulted in the near-total depletion of her life savings, caused her to declare bankruptcy, and led to the repossession of her house. Her personal bank account was also used to facilitate the fraud against one of the companies targeted by Osuji.

 

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Police arrest singer Portable over alleged criminal defamation

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Men of the Kwara State Police Command have arrested singer, Habeeb Okikilola Badmus aka Portable following a petition filed against him by his senior colleague, Okunola Saheed, popularly known as “Osupa,”

According to a statement from the spokesperson of the command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the petition borders on serious allegations which includes criminal defamation, threat to life, incitement, character assassination, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and the use of abusive and insulting words.

‘’In view of the weight of these allegations and the supporting evidence presented, the Command secured a valid arrest warrant from a Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin. Acting on this warrant, operatives from the Command proceeded to Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday, 13th April 2025, where the suspect was apprehended at about 19:25hrs. He was immediately brought to Ilorin for further investigations.

Upon his arrival, the suspect’s statement was taken in the presence of legal representatives from both parties. ‘’

The police imagemaker added that Portable is currently in custody and arrangements are being made to charge him to court without delay.

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FACT CHECK: No Office of the NSA Vehicle Was Stolen

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A picture of Toyota Hilux for illustration purpose
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Contrary to widespread reports last week, no vehicle belonging to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was stolen in Abuja.

Here’s the real story: the Hilux in question—a visibly aged model—was no longer an official vehicle of the ONSA. It had been sold through an internal government auction over two years ago to a staff member, in line with standard asset disposal procedures common across MDAs.

The confusion arose when the said staff, now the legal owner of the vehicle, parked it along a street in the Central Area of Abuja to attend Friday congregational prayers. Unfortunately, it was at this point the vehicle was stolen—an incident that has now been grossly misreported as a security breach involving the NSA’s office.

Government agencies routinely auction aging or unserviceable assets as part of their internal asset management processes. In this case, the vehicle had long ceased to be part of the NSA’s fleet.

So, let’s set the record straight: No breach. No security scare. No stolen government vehicle. Just a private incident—mislabeled and misreported.

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ANAMBRA POLICE ARRESTS A SUSPECT OVER THE MURDER OF HIS SIXTY-EIGHT-YEAR OLD MOTHER AND ATTEMPTED TAKING HIS OWN LIFE IN EKWULOBIA

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_Hands over twelve suspects of illicit drugs and recovered exhibits from a Police raid in Orumba North to NDLEA_

Police Operatives attached to the Ekwulobia Divisional Police Station on 11th April 2025 by 1.40pm arrested one Nnamdi Anyaji ‘M’ aged 49 years of Amudo Village, Ekwulobia who attempted to take his own life after killing his mother Mrs Dorathy Anyaji of the same address aged 68 years. The Operatives also recovered one Axe at the scene.

Preliminary information reveals that the squabble started when the suspect accused the deceased of being dishonest about the money realised from a cassava business.

Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody and under close monitoring so as not to commit suicide and would be charged to court after the investigation.

Also, Police Operatives attached to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad Enugu-Ukwu in the early hours of the same date acting on credible information raided a criminal drugs camp at Umuokpala Village in Orumba North LGA, arrested 12 suspects selling and taking hard drugs, recovered some sizeable quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, illicit drugs and other implicating items.

The suspects are: Ifeanyi Bernard, Emmanuel Ugwu, Thankgod Kelechi, Umeh Chidera, Aguiyi Onyeka, Onyeka Martin, Festus Ihezie, Chibundu Nicholas, Solomon Obiefule, Chibundu Daniel, Neke Shedrack and Nwazufu Kingsley all males and within the age bracket of 20 – 29 years. They have been handed over to Operatives of Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for necessary action.

*SP Tochukwu Ikenga*
Police Public Relations Officer
Anambra State Police Command, Awka

13th April 2025
-Admin Nkwelle

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