Police Arrest Suspected International Fraudsters, Reject N66m Bribe

Police operatives attached to the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Zone 2 Command, Onikan, have arrested two suspects allegedly involved in certificate forgery and online fraud. The suspects, identified as Elvis Osakpolo Edokpain, 23, and Kelly Osas Endgieen, 24, were said to have built mansions and acquired luxury vehicles through fraudulent activities.

The duo was accused of forging certificates from various international universities and defrauding unsuspecting victims online. They allegedly attempted to bribe the detectives with N66 million to avoid prosecution. The Anti-Corruption Unit reported the bribery attempt to the AIG, Adegoke Fayoade, who directed them to accept the money as evidence.

The suspects’ arrest followed a tip-off about a group involved in forging foreign academic certificates. Acting on intelligence, detectives ambushed the suspects at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and tracked them to a hotel in the Osapa-London area of Lekki. The suspects tried to flee but were apprehended at a nearby bus stop with their luggage.

Upon searching their belongings, police recovered a forged certificate from Blue Crest College in Ghana, a student ID from Academic City College, and a transcript of academic records. Additional documents, including a letter of English proficiency and a recommendation letter from Blue Crest College, were also found.

During interrogation, the suspects reportedly admitted to purchasing the certificates with the help of a female Nigerian resident in Ghana. They revealed they had paid a total of 26,000 Ghanaian cedis (approximately N2 million) for the certificates and Ghanaian residency permits, which they used to avoid arrest in Ghana.

The suspects confessed to running online scams, including impersonating a U.S. Army captain named Donald Rowe, using fake profiles on Instagram. They targeted victims in Japan, Denmark, and China, convincing them to pay for non-existent goods purportedly located in Syria. Payments were funneled through blockchain wallets or foreign bank accounts before being transferred to Nigeria.

Police sources said the suspects admitted to secondary school education in Benin City and cited poverty as their reason for engaging in fraudulent activities. Efforts are ongoing to identify their accomplices in Ghana, with the Ghanaian High Commission and Interpol assisting in the investigation.

Authorities are also working to dismantle their international fraud network, which reportedly involves collaborators in the UK, South Africa, and other countries.