A final year student of Imo State University, Chibuzor Akobundu, has been arrested by operatives of Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, for allegedly swindling foreign women to the tune of $48,000 through a dating website.
Surprisingly, the 22-year-old Microbiology undergraduate confessed that his victims, resident in the United States of America, were 'swept off their feet' by his profile on the dating site.
He spoke with journalists yesterday, while being paraded alongside two staff of a second generation bank, who allegedly facilitated the withdrawal of money via Western Union Money Transfer.
The suspect adopted Devon Miles as his name and pasted a photograph of an unknown American citizen as his profile on the dating site.
Victims
He confessed to have swindled five American single women within the ages of 40 and 50, in search for husbands.
He gave the name of his first victim as Antoinette. He promised to marry her and was able to dupe her of $16,000 before she suspected he was a fraudster.
His next victim was one Jettie Simpson, who reportedly sent $5,000 to him via Western Union.
Others also duped by Akobundu were Shelly Bashir, $100; Billie Klock, $13,000, in a relationship that reportedly lasted for five months, and Andrea Desena, $8,000.
'How I operate'
Akobundu said: "I started browsing the dating site three years ago, posing as a US citizen residing in Nigeria.
"At that time, it was a common game around my area in Ikeja. Along the line I met these ladies who were looking for husbands.
"They fell in love with me because of my profile, where I stated that I was a 49-year-old divorcee in search of a wife. I claimed to be an engineer.
"I would tell them I was stranded in Nigeria and needed some money to travel back to US and they would send the money via Western Union.
"At other times, I would tell them that my daughter was sick and that I needed money to offset her hospital bill and they would fall for the trick. I have never used charm to hypnotise any of them.
"My parents were never aware of what I was into because anytime I got a reasonable amount, I would travel to South Africa and squander the money.
"My regret is that I never used the money for anything tangible, to avoid suspicion. My mum is a teacher, while my father is a businessman and have been responsible for the payment of my school fees."
Victim's story
Explaining how he was arrested, spokesperson for the Unit, Ngozi Insitume-Agu, said: "The arrest followed a petition via the Unit's website from one Amelia Brosick, a US citizen, dated April 16, 2013, where she alleged that one Devon Miles, suspected to be a Nigerian, defrauded her to the tune of $16,439 using different tactics.
"She added that she met the suspect on a dating site in June 2012, and the suspect, under the guise of dating her for the purpose of marriage, obtained the alleged sum fraudulently through Western Union.
"Armed with the petition, Western Union was contacted and they sent a detailed spread sheet showing all the transfers in the name of the suspect.
"Following the information, the duo of Nnamdi Nwakwue Dike and Olawale Oguniran attached to Western Union in Skye Bank, Owerri and Allen Avenue, Ikeja, branches, respectively, were arrested.
"Their revealing statements led to the arrest of the serial internet fraudster, Chibuzor Akobundun also known as Devon Miles, Martin Williams and Sani Bala Ismaila. He adopted Devon as the internet name, but opened the account in the name of Martin Williams.
Accomplices confess
"He confessed that he provided the bank staff with the photocopy of his identity card so that they could withdraw the monies, while he gave them some percentage.
"The bank staff also confessed that they used Uche's particulars to withdraw money from other persons' accounts without his knowledge."
However, Dike of the Owerri branch denied knowledge of what Akobundun was into. He maintained that he was only doing his job as a front-line teller staff of the bank, adding that he had never at any time paid Akobundu above the stipulated amount.
He said: "Anytime he came to collect the money, he would answer the question given correctly, including the secret code.
"Mine is to ascertain whether the details corresponded with what was in the system at the end of which I would hand his money over to him."
Asked if he received any gratification from Akobundu, he said he was given tips of N1,000 or N2,000 at times, just like some other bank customers do.
PUNCH Metro learnt that trouble started after an ex-militant allegedly slapped a female student.
Our correspondent learnt that a school official who attempted to intervene was also allegedly slapped by another ex-militant.
The incident degenerated into a free-for-all, with many people sustaining injuries on Monday.
The registrar's office was also said to have been vandalised .
When our correspondent visited the institution on Tuesday, policemen attached to MOPOL 2 were stationed at the entrance of the gate.
The secretary of the Student Union Government of the school, Saheed Ridwan, told PUNCH Metro that the students had decided that they no longer wanted the ex-militants on the school's premises.
He said, "The ex-militants joined our school in February and initially, we were not having problems. However, a few weeks ago, there was a fight between some students and ex-militants over alleged stolen money and we settled it.
"On Monday, a female student was eating at a restaurant at Aluta Ground when an ex-militant told her to move because there wasn't much space. An argument ensued and he slapped her. An official, one Mr. Segun, was slapped by another ex-militant.
"A fight broke out and there was blood-shed. The police have however restored sanity but the students have said they no longer want the ex-militants in the school."
Meanwhile, it was learnt that one of the ex-militant, identified as Dudu, has been arrested by policemen at Bariga Division for allegedly harassing an employee of Lagoon Hotel, Akoka.
PUNCH Metro learnt that ex-militants schooling at the institution were lodged at Lagoon Hotel by the Federal Government.
Spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the disturbance in the school, adding that peace had been restored.
Braide said the militant was arrested for making sexual advances at an employee of the hotel.
"The ex-militant, was arrested for making sexual advances at an employee of a hotel near the school," she said.
Source: Punch Metro
They were the first known executions in the country since 2006.
Benin Prison authorities in Edo state had planned to hang the man along with the four others, but halted his execution after they realized his death sentence, imposed by a military tribunal, required that a firing squad carry it out.
Amnesty International said it understands that neither the prisoners nor their families were told of the executions in advance. Secret executions, where prisoners, families and lawyers are not informed beforehand, violate international standards on the use of the death penalty.
"Cruel and inhumane do not even begin to describe the nightmare situation facing this man – and it points to the spectacularly brutal nature of Nigeria's sudden return to state-sponsored killing," said Lucy Freeman, deputy Africa director at Amnesty International.
"The resumption of executions in Nigeria is deplorable and extremely worrying. Edo state authorities have already executed four men this week and still plan to execute a fifth – the Nigerian authorities must immediately halt all executions and return to the moratorium on the death penalty that was previously in place."
The four men hanged at Benin Prison last night still had appeals pending in their cases. Their executions came only hours after a federal High Court had dismissed a lawsuit against three of the execution warrants. The Edo state Attorney General and the prison authorities ignored an appeal and application for stay of execution filed immediately after the judgement. By executing the prisoners, Nigeria has demonstrated a gross disregard for the rule of law and respect for the judicial process.
The fifth man, sentenced by military tribunal, was never able to appeal his original sentence because military tribunals at the time denied defendants the right to appeal – itself a violation of fair trial standards and international law.
Under Nigerian and international law, executions may not be carried out while any appeals are still pending.
"Authorities at Benin Prison simply disregarded the due process requirements under law and in a cold-blooded move they denied the inmates an opportunity to exercise their rights," said Ms Freeman.
The fifth man who is to face a firing squad has been on death row for 17 years, and was sentenced to death by a military tribunal during the military rule in Nigeria before the return to democracy in 1999. Amnesty International has raised serious doubts about the fairness of trials during that period.
Of the more than 1,000 people currently on death row in the country, scores of others were also sentenced by military tribunals before 1999.
"That Nigeria has resumed executions for sentences passed by military tribunals only amplifies the disregard for human rights," said Ms Freeman.
"At a time when West Africa and the world are moving away from the death penalty, it is very worrying that Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan defies the clear international trend and has instead encouraged a step backwards for human rights."
Earlier this month, President Jonathan urged state Governors to sign death warrants for death row prisoners – which in effect allows federal prison authorities to proceed with executions of inmates who are held at state prisons.
The Edo state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole had signed execution warrants last October for two of the four men executed on Monday.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime, or the individual's guilt or innocence because it is a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
Source: Channels TV
*Mehn, some gangster shii is going down in Edo state recently.. But why can't Mr. President temper justice with mercy, 17 yrs of hardship is enuf for anyone in Nigerian prisons.. Convert their death penalty sentence to life improsonment*
