EFCC Nabs Calabar
EFCC Nabs Calabar Yahoo-Yahoo Kingpin, Akpojivi Joel
Onoriode
Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested four internet fraudsters in
Calabar, Cross River State, following two seperate raids carried
out in the early hours of Saturday, May 4, 2019 and Sunday, May 5,
2019.
The Saturday morning operation led to the arrest of a known
“yahoo” kingpin, Akpojivi Joel Onoriode, a 29-year-old graduate of
Delta State University, Abraka who is married with two kids.
Onoriode was arrested in his lavishly furnished duplex located
at Plot 10, Block VI, Unical Satellite Town, Calabar, which he
confessed was purchased with proceeds from his illicit “yahoo”
business. He confessed that he had been in the “yahoo-yahoo”
business for a long time and was known as “Blinks” or “Mr White”.
He admitted that he has been in the “yahoo” business for a very
long time and currently operates an offshore account in China.
He said: “I was really known in my school then as a yahoo boy. I
have two kids. I didn’t want to bring them up where people will
say, ah! your father is a yahoo boy. That was why I relocated my
family from Asaba to Calabar.
“When I came out now and saw you people and the bus outside, my
mind just told me there was a problem.”
While conducting a search on the premises, three luxury cars
were recovered from him – ZDX Acura car, E 300 Mercedes Benz and a
Range Rover SUV. The Range Rover could, however, not be moved out
of the premises with other exhibits due to mechanical problems.
Other items recovered include, two iPhones, one Nokia phone, and
documents of landed properties owned by the suspect.
The morning raid on May 5, 2019 led to the arrest of Ifeanyi
Chukwudi, Godwin Joseph and Iluobe Daniel. They were picked up at
different locations within Calabar, following intelligence reports
gathered by operatives of the Commission, as a result of the high
rate of cybercrime in the town.
Chukwudi confessed that he specialized in love scam, admitting
that he had “made a lot of money from the business
(yahoo-yahoo)”.
He said: “I have defrauded women from the UK (United Kingdom).
They usually pay me after we get engaged, and then, they will now
want me to come over, that’s when they send me money and that’s how
I get paid.”
Some of the items recovered from his apartment at Effiong Close,
Satellite Town, Calabar include: one iPhone 8 Plus, one HP laptop
containing fraudulent letters of false claims, and nine SIM
cards.
Joseph and Daniel were arrested at Itagbor Agbeansa area of
Calabar. A Toyota Camry LE, one HP laptop containing scam emails
and several exotic phones were recovered from them.
They will soon be charged to court.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity