$60m scam: INTERPOL, EFCC arrest Nigerian fraudster in Port Harcourt

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in conjunction with the International Criminal Police Organisation have arrested a Nigerian fraudster for an alleged $60m (N18.9bn) scam.

According to a statement by the EFCC and INTERPOL, the suspect identified only as Mike, heads an international criminal network which is behind thousands of online scams including the hacking of emails.

The 40-year-old Nigerian is believed to be behind scams totalling more than $60m involving hundreds of victims worldwide. In one case, a target was conned into paying out $15.4m.

#PanamaPapers: EFCC, Interpol To Go after Saraki, Mark, Others

The Federal Government has opened a file on all Nigerians whose names have been mentioned in the Panama Papers as operating offshore accounts in notorious tax havens. Some of the individuals listed in the papers so far are the current Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and his predecessor, David Mark.

Others listed include Africa’s richest man, Mr. Aliko Dangote; his cousin, Saayu Dantata, and a former Minister of Defence, Lt.Gen Theophilus Danjuma (retd.) It was learnt that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been gathering reports from local and international media as well as the responses being given by those named.

James Ibori Reportedly Rearrested After His Release From UK Prison

Embattled former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, has been rearrested in the United Kingdom after he was earlier freed from a London prison.

Ibori, who bagged a 13-year jail term in April 2012 by a Southwark Crown court in London, was reportedly released by prison authorities on January 22.

A source told PM News, that Ibori’s current whereabouts remain unknown.

“He is out of here”, a prison source at Bedford told the news medium Tuesday night.

Ibori, according to the report was re-arrested to face another charge bothering on confiscation of his ill-gotten assets, estimated to be about 250 million pounds.