The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a strong warning to the public regarding a fraudulent Facebook account impersonating Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, one of its Permanent Secretaries. The fake account has been falsely awarding contracts, requesting assistance, and offering rewards to unsuspecting Nigerians online. In an official statement released on Friday, the Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, clarified that the Ministry has no connection with the account and urged Nigerians to disregard any communications from it. “This fraudulent account is being used to disseminate false information and malicious schemes,” the statement said. The Ministry emphasized that Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed does not operate any social media accounts. It also reminded the public that recruitment into the Nigerian Foreign Service is exclusively handled by the Federal Civil Service Commission and that the Ministry does not request payments for job applications or appointments. Authorities are currently collaborating with security agencies and Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to investigate and shut down the fake account. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and protecting citizens from online fraud. This warning follows a recent disclaimer about fake recruitment exercises circulating online, highlighting ongoing efforts to safeguard Nigerians from scams exploiting official identities. The Ministry advises everyone to stay vigilant, verify official announcements through proper channels, and report suspicious activities to relevant authorities.
Nine Chinese nationals sentenced to one year in Lagos for financial terrorism
A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced nine Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment each and fined them N1 million for economic sabotage and financial terrorism. The defendants, including two women, pleaded guilty to charges related to cybercrime and economic sabotage following a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the sentences on Thursday, ordering that the prison terms commence from December 10, 2024, the date of their arrest. Upon completion of their sentences, the Nigerian Immigration Service is mandated to repatriate the convicts to China. Additionally, all items seized from the defendants, including furniture, laptops, and other gadgets, were ordered forfeited to the Nigerian government. The defendants, Zhao Xiang Hui, Liu Hai Rong, Liu Gang, Du Ji Geng, Li Dong, Huang Bo, Xhiong Zhen, Lai Rui Feng, and Deng Wei Qiang, were arrested during a raid on a building in the Oyin Jolayemi area of Lagos in December 2024. The EFCC arrested over 700 individuals suspected of cyber terrorism and economic sabotage in the operation. According to court documents, the defendants accessed computer systems to destabilize Nigeria’s economic and social structures by recruiting Nigerian youths to commit identity theft and impersonate foreign nationals for financial gain. Their actions violated the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (amended 2024), and the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022. EFCC counsel Nnemeka Omewa confirmed the plea bargain agreement and requested the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. Defence counsel Folarin Damela supported the arrangement, which the court accepted without objection.
FBI arrests Nigerian ‘Tech Queen’ Sapphire Egemasi in multi-million dollar U.S. government fraud case
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Nigerian national Sapphire Egemasi, widely known on social media as a ‘tech queen,’ for her alleged role in a multi-million dollar internet fraud and money laundering scheme targeting U.S. government agencies. Egemasi, a programmer who maintained a Devpost account, was taken into custody on April 10, 2025, in Bronx, New York. She was arrested alongside several co-conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, who is believed to have led the criminal syndicate. The group faces charges stemming from a federal grand jury indictment issued last year, accusing them of defrauding the city of Kentucky between September 2021 and February 2023. Court documents reveal that Egemasi’s role involved creating and registering spoof websites mimicking U.S. government institutions to steal login credentials. She also helped the syndicate redirect stolen funds through wire transfers into bank accounts controlled by the group. Text messages recovered by authorities show that in August 2022, the group rerouted $965,000 in stolen funds to a PNC Bank account and diverted an additional $330,000 to a Bank of America account. Before her arrest, Egemasi lived in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and reportedly met her Ghanaian co-conspirators while residing in West Africa years earlier. She claimed to have held several internships at multinational companies like British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara to conceal the origins of her wealth. Known for flaunting an extravagant lifestyle on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, Egemasi posted photos from luxury vacations to Greece, Portugal, and other destinations, which investigators believe were funded by the illicit proceeds. Currently detained in Lexington, Kentucky, Egemasi and her co-defendants await trial, where they face up to 20 years in prison, substantial fines, and possible deportation after serving their sentences. This case highlights the growing sophistication of cybercrime syndicates exploiting technology to defraud government entities and highlights ongoing efforts by U.S. authorities to combat such schemes.
EFCC adds two more suspects to the wanted list in N1.3 trillion CBEX scam
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared two additional individuals wanted in connection with the massive N1.3 trillion Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) scam, raising the total number of suspects to eight. Folashade Odelana and Bamidele Ayodele Abiodun are now sought by the EFCC for their alleged roles in orchestrating fraudulent activities that caused significant financial losses to thousands of investors, the commission announced on Wednesday. Previously, six suspects including Seyi Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, and Israel Mbaluka were declared wanted in the ongoing investigation. A foreign national, Elie Bitar, was also once on the list but has since been removed, as reported by Dailytech. CBEX, a digital investment platform promising 100% returns within 30 days, collapsed in April 2025 after restricting withdrawals on April 9. Many investors found their account balances wiped out, sparking outrage and prompting the EFCC’s intervention. EFCC Chairman Olukayode reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to tracking down all those involved in this cyber-related financial crime and recovering funds for the affected Nigerians. The commission has urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects to come forward and assist with the investigation.
EFCC tracks, recovers part of N1.3tn lost to CBEX scam, arrests suspects
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made notable strides in its investigation of the N1.3 trillion Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) crypto scam, recovering a reasonable amount of stolen funds and arresting several suspects, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede confirmed in a recent interview with TVC. Olukoyede stated, “We have gone far with CBEX. We have been able to recover a reasonable amount of money,” adding that the stolen assets were primarily in cryptocurrency, which posed challenges in converting them back to cash. He explained, “There is no way you will get the dollars in cash without necessarily going through the same process” used by the fraudsters. The EFCC has arrested some suspects while continuing to pursue others declared wanted, though details remain confidential to avoid disrupting ongoing investigations. “We have made a reasonable arrest… We are still after quite a number of people we have declared wanted,” Olukoyede said. Earlier, the EFCC had declared eight CBEX promoters wanted following a Federal High Court order to arrest them over a $1 billion fraud. Among those wanted are foreign nationals, alongside Nigerian suspects linked to the scheme. One suspect, Adefowora Abiodun, voluntarily surrendered to authorities, signaling progress in the probe. The EFCC has also worked with international partners, including Interpol, to track the fraudsters across multiple countries, as the scam involved foreign nationals and complex crypto wallet transfers outside Nigeria’s jurisdiction. Olukoyede cautioned that full restitution to victims would be difficult, given the nature of cryptocurrency transactions and the dispersal of funds across various wallets. “I will not sit here and tell you that we are going to restore every victim. It will become practically impossible,” he noted in earlier remarks. This ongoing investigation marks a critical effort by the EFCC to bring perpetrators to justice and recover assets from one of Nigeria’s largest crypto frauds to date.
Uganda crypto founder forced to transfer $500,000 worth of cryptocurrency at gunpoint
Festo Ivaibi, founder of the cryptocurrency education hub Mitroplus Labs, was kidnapped at gunpoint on May 17 near his home in Kampala, Uganda. The attackers, armed and dressed in military uniforms, forced Ivaibi to transfer $500,000 worth of cryptocurrency from his digital wallets to theirs. According to an official statement from Mitroplus’s Afro Token Project, the kidnappers falsely claimed to be security operatives from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces. They coerced Ivaibi into unlocking his crypto wallets and initiated unauthorized transactions. The attackers also forced the sale of Afro Token, a meme coin linked to Mitroplus Labs, resulting in further financial losses and a sharp decline in the token’s value. Data from DEX Screener showed Afro Token’s market capitalization dropped by 16.7% after the incident, falling to $1.6 million from a $7.3 million valuation in December 2024. Mitroplus Labs alleges this attack is part of a broader, coordinated pattern targeting crypto holders in Uganda. The firm claims at least 48 similar abduction attempts have been identified, often involving informants posing as traders, rogue law enforcement officers, and foreign nationals. “These types of crimes, commonly known as ‘wrench attacks,’ involve physical threats against crypto holders to force them into transferring digital assets,” the Afro Token Project stated. “This is not just an attack on one person, it’s an attack on a growing vision.” The rise in crypto-related kidnappings has alarmed investors and blockchain firms, who are now calling for stronger security measures and safeguards for crypto holders. Authorities are investigating the incident, but many cases reportedly go unresolved due to the influence and reach of the perpetrators’ networks. As the frequency of these attacks increases, industry experts warn that anyone involved in cryptocurrency should be vigilant and take extra precautions to protect their digital assets.