EFCC arrests 2 Deputy Controllers of correctional service over $1m scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has nabbed Emmanuel Oluwaniyi, a Deputy Controller (DC) of the Nigerian Correctional Service and Hemeson Edson Edwin, also a Deputy Controller, for allegedly giving exaggerated medical reports that allowed a convicted internet fraudster, Hope Olusegun Aroke, to be granted leave to access treatment outside the facility.

Daily Trust gathered that Hope Olusegun Aroke is serving a 24-year jail term. The first suspect, Oluwaniyi, is the Controller, Kirikiri Maximum Prison, while the second suspect, Edwin, is in charge of the medical facility. The two men were arrested by operatives of the EFCC at the Lagos Zonal office on Monday.

A statement from the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, said the suspects have given useful information to the Commission about their alleged involvement in the crime.

It would be recalled that Aroke, also known as H.Money, had masterminded an internet fraud to the tune of over $1million, while in prison custody.

The EFCC spokesman stated that he committed the alleged crime from prison, using a network of accomplices.

“Aroke is one of the two Malaysiabased Nigerian undergraduate fraudsters arrested by the EFCC, towards the end of 2012, at the 1004 Housing Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, following a tip-off.

“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 that Aroke was the arrow head of an intricate web of an internet fraud scheme that traverses two continents.

“When Aroke 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 Jeep, One 4Matic Mercedes Benz Car and a Range Rover Sport.

“He was eventually convicted by Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, 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,” the statement read.