An Instagram comedian and social media influencer, Nwagbo Chidera, popularly known as Pankeeroy, has been arrested along with 34 others for their alleged involvement in computer-related fraud.
They were apprehended by operatives of the Lagos Office of the Advance Fee Fraud Section of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the anti-graft agency said on Thursday.
EFCC operatives arrested the suspects on Wednesday at their hideout in James Court, Lekki, Lagos, following verified intelligence about their alleged criminal activities.
“Until his arrest, Chidera, who claimed to have gone into Bitcoin scam after he suffered depression, had been presenting himself as a vendor who redeems bitcoin vouchers using the bitcoincoretrading.com platform to defraud his unsuspecting victims.
“Investigations revealed that one of the suspects, Chinedu Christian, allegedly defrauded an aged Asian-American lady of over $475,000,” the EFCC said.
In his statement to the commission, Christian confessed to have been posing as one Dave Federick, a 58-year-old United States citizen on a mission in Syria, in order to lure his unsuspecting victims and defraud them of their hard-earned money.
Upon his arrest, a Mercedes Benz AMG GLE model worth N36 million was recovered from him while investigations revealed that the suspect has N22.3 million worth of Bitcoin in his blocked chain account.
Items recovered from the other suspects include exotic cars, iPhones, laptop computers, Android devices, and MacBook devices.
According to the EFCC, the suspects will soon be charged to court.
The remaining suspects include Gafar Adedamola, Chuka AnieboRichard, Dibo Samson, Rotimi Damilola, Habeeb Damilola, Afolabi Michael, Adekanbi Adeola, Emeka Egwuatu, Adeyemi Olumide, Awokoya Iyaniwura, Efunnuga Samuel, Samson Egwuatu, Gbemileke Simeon, Omoyemi Owolabi, and Farouk Olatunde.
Others were Orapitan Segun, Oladunjoye Olawale, Ibrahim Olanrewaju, Wasiu Sola, Olamiposi Damilola, Isieq Olamilekan, Abel Junior, Emmanuel Martins, Timilehin Jesse, Kelvin Kendal, Omotola Emmanuel, Rasaq Farouq, Oyelere Shakiru, Timileyin Damilare, Kelly Nwanou, Adedeji Olayinka, Balogun Ibrahim, and Makinde Benjamin.
