The Nigeria Police Force has declared Omini Ofem James, the promoter of Shadownet Global Services Ltd., wanted for scamming many Nigerians out of their money.

Following a bench warrant issued by a Lagos State court, the police said James was wanted for using social media and other mediums to advertise for investments, posing as an “investment mogul who can manage public funds in foreign currency trading enterprise” in exchange for fixed returns.

James floated the illegitimate business via a Twitter account he created in the name of Shadownet Global in May 2020 and drew hundreds of Nigerians into his net.

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The company claimed in its Twitter bio to be “helping people put their money to work for them while they sleep to the ends of the earth”.

According to Sunday, who invested N350,000 in the scheme, he saw the online ads by James in 2020, and after he was fully convinced that the business was legitimate, he subscribed to it.

“I overcame my skepticism about the Shadownet investment promotion after checking their website and doing some internet basic search about the company. My conviction was solidified after he presented me with something I considered a genuine legal paper to seal my investment deal. I committed N350,000 into it and I was promised a fine return on investment payable after six months,” Sunday told FIJ on Sunday.

“The fakeness of the company dawned on me after the expiration of the six months and I was not paid. I contacted them many times without a positive response until I resigned to the fact that I had been duped. We heard later that he had fled from Nigeria to Dubai.”

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From a letter written by some of the victims to the Inspector-General of Police through Major Ken Obi, dated March 8, 2022, FIJ learned that James gathered up to N52,000,000 from Nigerians.

James was alleged to have perpetrated the fraud in partnership with two other persons, Ivuoma Okoronkwo and Omini Ofem Rose.

The letter partly reads, “Sometime in 2020, OMINI invaded the social media space and other medium advertising for investment and posed as investment moguls that could manage the public’s funds in foreign currency trading enterprise in exchange for fixed return at a predetermined rate and duration.

“Oblivious of the large scale fraud ahead, our clients transferred at various times the sum of Fifty Two Million Naira (N52,000,000) into SHADOWNET GLOBAL bank accounts 1022542617, UBA bank, and 0596785962 GT bank owned and managed by the trio.

“The proposed transaction was packaged and designed to yield fixed interests. However, upon expiration of the investment, the chief mastermind OFEM JAMES OMINI and OMINI OFEM ROSE, who fled to DUBAI, UAE, stopped any form of communication with our Clients and have since become evasive, and we suspect the trio may have fled the country.

“We believe this may have been a premeditated fraud which was disguised as a legal investment scheme owing to false representations. We believe they may have also swindled thousands of persons of billions of Naira and they may have diverted the funds into real estate and other personal endeavors.

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“Sir, we kindly seek your intervention to investigate, interrogate, detain and prosecute the trio of OMINI OFEM JAMES, IVUOMA OKORONKWO VIDAH and OMINI OFEM ROSE. And we pray you place them on WATCHLIST and RED NOTICE.”

Before now, there were social media posts suggesting that James’ company was designed to rip members of the public of their money.

He was said to have splashed over N50 million on his wedding with his wife in 2021.

The Corporate Affairs Commission did not show the company was registered.

The police invite anyone with useful information about James to present same at any police station in the country.