The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, has uncovered how a jailed fraudster masterminded an internet
scam worth $1 million from prison.
The suspected fraudster is Hope
Olusegun Aroke, a convicted internet scammer who is currently serving 24 years
jail term.
The Lagos Zonal office of the
commission said on Monday that it uncovered that Aroke a convicted internet
fraudster currently serving a 24 years jail term was still in active
communication with other high valued targets.
The EFCC, in a statement, said
the high valued targets were currently being investigated by the Commission for
various offences relating to computer fraud and money laundering.
“Investigation revealed that he
masterminded the commission of internet scam worth over $1,000,000 (One million
Dollars) whilst serving his jail term,” the EFCC said.
He allegedly pulled the heist
right from prison using a network of accomplices, some of them targets of fraud
and money laundering investigation.
The lid on his latest fraud
exploits from the bowels of the Maximum Correctional Centre was blown following
intelligence received by the EFCC.
The immediate riddle that
confronted the EFCC was how it was possible for the convict to continue to ply
his ignoble trade of Internet fraud from prison.
Preliminary investigation
revealed that the convict, against established standard practice, had access
to internet and mobile phone in the
Correctional Centre where he is supposed to be serving his jail term.
Even more puzzling was the
finding that Aroke got himself admitted to the Nigeria Police Hospital, Falomo,
Lagos for an undisclosed ailment and
from the hospital, he would move out to lodge in hotels, meet with his wife and
two children and attend other social functions.
The circumstance of his admission
into the hospital and those who aided his movement from the hospital to hotels
and other social engagements, is already being investigated by the EFCC.
For a felon supposedly serving a
jail term, investigation revealed that Aroke used a fictitious name, Akinwunmi
Sorinmade, to open two accounts with
First Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. He also bought a property at Fountain Spring Estate, Lekki
Lagos in 2018 for N22 million and a Lexus RX 350 2018 model registered in his
wife’s name, Maria Jennifer Aroke.
The convict was also in
possession of his wife’s bank account token in prison, which he used to freely
transfer funds.
Further investigation revealed
that, while his trial was ongoing in 2015, Aroke bought a four bedroom duplex
at Plot 12, Deji Fadoju Street, Megamounds Estate Lekki County Homes ,
Lekki for N48 million.
Aroje was one of two
Malaysia-based Nigerian undergraduate fraudsters arrested by the EFCC in the
closing weeks of 2012 at the 1004 Housing Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos
following a tip-off. The indigene of Okene, Kogi State had claimed to be a
student of Computer Science at the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University,
Malaysia. But the Commission’s investigation fingered him as the arrow head of
an intricate web of internet fraud scheme that traverse two continents.
When Aroke was arrested, a search
conducted by EFCC operatives on his apartment led to the recovery of several
items such as laptops, iPad, traveling documents, cheque books, flash drives,
internet modem, and three exotic cars – a Mercedes Benz Jeep, One 4Matic
Mercedes Benz Car and a Range Rover Sport SUV.
He was eventually convicted by
Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos State High Court on two counts of obtaining
money by false pretence, cheque cloning, wire transfer and forgery. He was
sentenced to twelve years imprisonment on each of the two counts.
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