Police arrest First Class honors graduate, others over internet fraud

The Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) have
arrested a 6-man internet fraud syndicate that
includes a First Class honor graduate
who
specialize in designing the organisation’s
websites and using same to defraud
unsuspecting job seekers, this is according to a
report on the Nigerian police website.
A petition dated 22nd August 2013,
received from OPEC FUND for
International Development alleged that a
website designed as “OFID Scholarship
Website” with OFID name and logo has
been used to defraud innocent Nigerian
applicants. That in the website,
applicants were required to pay
N2,500.00 as an application fee and over
2,000 applicants responded and paid the
fees through the First Bank Account
Number 2020874607 and Access Bank
Account Number 0056941009 with the
name OFID WSAS NG. The petitioner
stated further that it was one of the
victims that contacted OFID via facebook,
accusing OFID of being complicit in the
fraud.
The Cybercrime Section of the Unit swung into
action and the mastermind of the fraud, one
Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde was arrested.
His arrest led to the arrest of five other
syndicate members. Police investigation so far
revealed that over 2,000 applicants paid the
sum of N2,500.00 each into the two banks
provided by the suspects and the principal
suspect is the only signatory to both accounts.
[1] FALADE OLUWAPELUMI AYOTUNDE - A
25years old from Akure, Ondo State and
500Level Estate Management student of
Federal University of Technology, Akure
(FUTA). The suspect made a confessional
statement, that he designed the website of
OFID WSAS (OPEC Fund for International
Development for World Student Aid
Scholarship) in June, 2012. That the idea came
from one Fajobi Olalekan and Bolatiri
Opemipo. He also admitted that he opened an
account in both First Bank and Access Bank
with the name OFID WSAS NG for applicants to
pay in their application fee which many
responded to. He further stated that he and
his cohorts printed a postal for OFIDWAS which
was on the website.
[2] ASAOLU VICTOR – 25years old from Ilesha
in Osun State and a graduate of Mining
Engineering from Federal University of
Technology, Akure (FUTA). A job seeker, He
confessed that he assisted to paste the posters
on line and he was given N80,000.00 initially
and later another N40,000.00 totaling
N120,000.00 for the job.
[3] AWOTE TEMITOPE EMMANUEL – 27years
old. A 500Level Estate Management student of
Federal University of Technology, Akure
(FUTA). He confessed that he assisted the
principal suspect to sign guarantor for the
accounts he opened in First Bank and Access
Bank for the OFID program and was paid
N70,000.00 which he had spent for his
personal effects. He stated that he
participated in pasting and publicizing the fake
OFID Scholarship Program. He also stated that
he knew from the onset that the OFID
Scholarship Program is a scam aimed at
defrauding innocent scholarship applicant but
that he still went on to deceive the bank that
his friend is honest and the program genuine.
[4] FAJOBI OLALEKAN is 27years old from Lagos
State and a Mechanical Engineering graduate of
Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)
with a first class honour and the best
graduating student in his department for the
year 2012. He is currently working with Dee
Xecutor Concept. He stated that while in
school, he lived in the same Lodge with the
1st suspect and his mates/friends always come
to him for educational assistance because of
his intelligence. That he once fell victim for
scholarship known as EDIADS, which made the
1st suspect to approach him and got some
information regarding that one, which he
believed gave him an idea on how to design
OFID Scholarship Website. He further stated
that he lent the 1st suspect the sum
N12,000.00 for hosting the Website. He later
gave him N20,000.00 in return and informed
him that the fraud was successful.
[5] BOLATIRI EMMANUEL ONAOPEMIPO is
25years old from Oyo State. A graduate of
FUTA. He is currently a Handset Dealer. He
corroborated F