“Invictus Obi” pleads guilty to N4.2billion fraud in US

Obiwanne Okeke aka “Invictus Obi” who was arrested last year in the United States for computer based fraud popularly known as “YahooYahoo” has pleaded guilty to a fraud of N4.2billion.

He had earlier pleaded not guilty and remanded in a prison, but in a court ruling on Thursday had pleaded guilty of the $11 million (N4.2 billion) computer-based fraud committed between 2015 and 2019.

The judge, Robert Krask, however, certified the guilty plea to clear the paths for Okeke’s sentencing.

The next hearing for the case has been fixed to October 22, 2020. He could be sentenced to a maximum of 20years in a US prison.

United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation said Okeke and at least six other persons were involved in the crimes.

“There is a probable cause to believe Okeke has conspired with several individuals to access computers without authorisation, and using such access to cause the fraudulent wire transfer of funds,” FBI’s special agent Marshall Ward said in an affidavit he deposed to before Justice Lawrence Leonard, in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 2.

Okeke, the founder of Invictus Group, has a degree in International Studies and Forensic Criminology and Masters of International Relations and Counter-Terrorism Studies from Monash University in Australia, according to his official profile.

The Nigerian was once listed by Forbes as one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans.

Okeke’s Invictus Group is reported to have investments in oil and gas, construction, energy solutions, technology and agriculture.