By Christopher Oji
The Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Onikan, Lagos, has busted a syndicate of suspected fraudsters who specialised in forging international bank cheques by impersonating foreign celebrities.
Three of the suspects were arrested at the weekend; they confessed they made over N400 million each from the evil business in the last few years.
The suspects: Innocent Odumosor, 27, Ajie Samuel Chukwudi, 31, and Godwin Divine, 19, were arrested at their residences in Lagos, after detectives attached to Anti-Corruption Unit, Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos received intelligence about their activities with other members of the syndicate based abroad.
The ringleader of the syndicate, Innocent Odumosor, lives in a four bedroom flat at Ocean Freeze Estate, Ologoro, Ikate, Lagos, while his second in command, Ajie, lives at Star Times Estate, Ago Palace Way, Lagos.
Both Odumosor and Ajie reportedly confessed to having made about N400m each since they started the fraudulent business in 2021.
It was gathered that during interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and gave vivid details of their criminal exploits, which involved impersonating notable foreign celebrities and defrauding Bank of America of millions of dollars.
According to Odumosor, a graduate of a university in the South-South region, “we buy ‘tools’ from Xeet.com, which we use in committing the crime. Tools work as software, and we buy from the site. It works with the software of different foreign banks. We clone cashier cheques and contact other members of the syndicate overseas to source for foreign accounts where they can log in the cheques.
“The victim unknowingly cashes the cheque and sends it to the account our syndicate will provide. The victims are randomly chosen and engaged in long chats before we strike. We normally load the account, and the victim will be chatting with any member of the syndicate resident abroad.”
Police investigation uncovered that after they received proceeds of their latest exploits this year, the ringleader acquired a Mercedes Benz 223 GLE valued at N250 million while his second in command also bought Mercedes GLE 221 worth N150 million. The share of the third suspect is still in his Nigerian bank account.
Odumosor claimed that he graduated in 2019 and started internet fraud in 2021.
According to him, “I learned to do it through online and websites like: Xeet.PW and Monove.com. I specialise in loading of foreign bank accounts by buying loading tools from different websites such as Olux.TO, Monove.com, and Cheap.com at different prices ranging from $10 to $100. I get different foreign bank accounts from other members of the syndicate and load money into the accounts. The foreign banks are mostly in the USA.
“We share the proceeds of our loot 50/50. The latest transaction I had with Ajie was that of $350,000 cash cheques from Bank of America and the beneficiary is Babara Franks. I got $150,000 as part of my share using my Access Bank and it amounted to N230m. I used part of it to buy a Mercedes GLE worth N120m and used the remaining to take care of myself, my family, and my music career. I use my iPhone 16 Promax and Labtop to do the deals. I pay N10m for my four bedroom flat at Ocean Based Estate at Ikate.”
The second in command, Ajie Samuel (aka Pappy), Delta State indigene, and a graduate of Mechanical Engineering, said he got $50,000 from their deal stating that he was a middle man during negotiations.
It was gathered that detectives were collaborating with the international police with a view to rounding up other members of the criminal syndicate based abroad; they have already confiscated the international passports of the suspects. They are also said to be beaming their searchlight on all the banks connected with the activities of the suspects with a view to ascertaining if there is internal connivance or not.
Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Adegoke Fayoade, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said that investigations were still ongoing and that the Force had stepped up a manhunt for other members of the syndicate.