EFCC arrests two over alleged ₦768m fraud

Etim Effiong

The operatives of the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested two suspected fraudsters, Osuji Miracle Obieze and Konne Israel Barieeba, for obtaining N768,585,‪000.00 by false pretence.

The suspects, alongside Obialor Christian Worenwu (now at large), allegedly approached an investment company, Luxury Gold, for an investment loan facility.

Subsequently, the sum of N110,000,‪000. was paid into the GTBank account of Barieeba, while the sum of N255,000,‪000 was paid into the First City Monument Bank account of Obieze.

The third suspect, Worenwu, who is at large, also received the sum of N403,585,‪000.00 in his GTBank account.

The petitioner also alleged that the loans were to be repaid sometime in March 2021.

However, all efforts by the petitioner to make the suspects repay the loans granted them proved abortive.

Investigations revealed that the suspects, who were arrested sometime in June 2021, diverted the money obtained from Luxury Gold for their personal use and bought cars, jewellery, and landed properties.

Items recovered from the suspects include exotic cars, diamond jewellery, two laptop computers, iPhone devices, two Apple Macbooks and other mobile devices.

Also recovered from the suspects are landed properties, which were allegedly bought with proceeds from the crime. The commission said the suspects will soon be charged.