Published 1st Jan, 2023

By Tola Owoyele

In November 2022, Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s Vice President, told some Canada-based Nigerians at a forum that the current administration was doing its best to address the negative image of Nigerians globally.

However, this remains to be seen as countries around the world have continued to finger Nigerians as prime suspects in major cases of fraud and other criminal acts.

Here are five major instances of fraud and other criminal acts that painted Nigeria in a bad light in 2022.

RAMON OLORUNWA ABBAS (HUSHPUPPI)

After his 2020 arrest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, a Dubai-based Nigerian popularly known as Hushpuppi, was sentenced to 135 months in prison by a district court in the United States of America for fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in November 2022.

Abbas had pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering after his Dubai arrest.

Through his fraudulent operations, the 40-year-old Nigerian had targeted both American and international victims, and had swindled them of several millions of dollars, becoming one of the most prolific fraudsters and money launderers in the world.

Abbas also leveraged his social media platform, especially Instagram, where he had over two million followers, to brag about his immense wealth.

He acquired the wealth estimated at over $300 million by conducting business email compromise scams, online bank heists and other cyber-enabled fraud that financially ruined scores of victims.

He was also said to have used his knowledge of cyber fraud to render assistance to the North Korean Government.

THE BLACK AXE INFILTRATRES IRISH IT FIRMS TO MOVE €14M FRAUD PROCEEDS

In July, the Garda, Ireland’s economic crime bureau, declared that the Black Axe, a notorious Nigerian confraternity, infiltrated banks and IT firms in the country with its members so it could successfully launder over €14 million.

The funds were said to be proceeds realised from various fraudulent schemes that had been orchestrated by the organisation.

According to the crime unit, Black Axe had sent people to the Irish IT and financial institutions to help move the funds, mostly in cash, realised from its global operations which include romance fraud and other fraudulent schemes.

During an operation carried out by the Garda, over 100 arrests were made through the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Interpol. Over 400 other suspects were also identified to have played a part in the fraudulent operation.

Giuseppe Diviccaro, a 45-year-old Italian popularly called The Banker, believed to be working for the Black Axe in the scheme, was also arrested by Irish authorities.

IKE EKWEREMADU’S UK ORGAN HARVEST SCANDAL

On June 23, 2022, Ike Ekweremadu, a Nigerian senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, was arrested alongside his wife, Beatrice, for charges bordering on conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of one David Nwamini, a 21-year-old Nigerian, to the United Kingdom, in order to harvest his organ.

Ekweremadu’s arrest was made by the UK Metropolitan Police. It was alleged that the senator and his wife had planned to harvest Nwamini’s kidney in order to save Sylvia, their daughter, who was in need of a transplant.

Despite their not-guilty plea, the Ekweremadus remain in police custody alongside Obinna Obeta, a Nigerian doctor practicing in the UK, who allegedly plotted with the couple to harvest Nwamini’s kidney.

KANO APC SENATORIAL CANDIDATE ALLEGEDLY DEFRAUDS KUWAITI OF $1.3M

In November 2022, Abdulsalam Sale Abdulkarim, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kano Central, lost his bid to stop a $1.3 million corruption trial.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulkarim, also known as A. A. Kaura, allegedly pretended to be in the business of building properties in Dubai and Kuwait, and defrauded an unnamed man from Kuwait of $1.3 million.

Abdulkarim is presently facing corruption charges levelled against him by the commission at a Federal High Court in Kano.

CHIDOZIE OBASI DECLARED WANTED FOR $30M FRAUD IN THE US

In September, Chidozie Collins Obasi, a 29-year-old Nigerian, was declared wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for allegedly defrauding the New York State Government of more than $30 million.

Obasi was accused of defrauding hospitals in New York, a state in the United States of America, of $31 million by offering non-existent COVID-19 ventilators for sale.

The Nigerian was said to have targeted the hospitals through a spam email campaign.

Obasi also took advantage of the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EID Loans) introduced to aid Americans affected by the pandemic-induced lockdown by applying for and receiving more than $135,000. Obasi was said to have stolen the identities and information of American citizens while obtaining the funds.

The Nigerian allegedly perpetrated the schemes from Nigeria alongside other co-conspirators, who were mostly based in Canada, between September 2018 and June 2020.

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