Nigerian Prison Boss Aided ‘Yahoo Boy’ To Commit $1m Scam From Prison

A Deputy Controller at Kiriki Maximum Correctional Centre, Emmanuel Oluwaniyi and and a medical doctor, Hemeson Edwin are currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegation of procuring an exaggerated medical report for a suspected internet fraudster, popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo, Olusegun Aroke.

Aroke, who is said to be serving a 24-year jail term was allegedly given a referral for treatment outside the facility during which he pulled a $1 million scam.

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THE WHISTLER learnt that the convict, who was arrested by the EFCC in 2012 at the 1004 Housing Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos following a tip-off is one of the two Malaysia-based Nigerian undergraduate fraudsters.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, the anti-graft agency said preliminary investigation showed that the convict, against established standard practice, had access to the internet and mobile phone in the correctional facility.

The statement added that Olawaniyi and his accomplice, Edwin, who was in charge of the clinic in the correctional centre were arrested on Monday by operatives of the EFCC.

The suspects were said to have given useful information about their alleged involvement in the crime.

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Aroke, also known as H.Money, had masterminded a mega scam to the tune of over $1 million.

He committed the alleged crime from prison, using a network of accomplices.

Aroke, who hails from Okene in Kogi State, had claimed to be a student of Computer Science at the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University, Malaysia.

However, investigations by the commission revealed Aroke is the arrowhead of an internet fraud scheme that traversed two continents.

When the convict was arrested, a search conducted by EFCC operatives on his apartment led to the recovery of several items such as laptops, iPad, travel documents, cheque books, flash drives, internet modem, and three exotic cars – a Mercedes Benz SUV, One 4Matic Mercedes Benz and a Range Rover Sport SUV.

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A Lagos State High Court Judge in Ikeja, Justice Lateefa Okunnu eventually convicted him on two counts of obtaining money by false pretence, cheque cloning, wire transfer and forgery.

He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on each of the two counts.

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