In the heat of the lynching of Igbo citizens in Asia in 2013 over alleged criminality, I wrote an essay entitled, ‘The Igbo fallacy’. In it, I appealed to the Igbo to de-emphasise the culture of profligacy, decadent opulence and vanity which fuels the pursuit of crime by their own. I also suggested the need for value re-orientation – a task that must be actuated by all groups – the age grades, unions and traditional institutions.

Really, it is enervating for me that my kinsmen are taking the inglorious front row in “money crimes’’ – drug peddling and internet fraud – abroad.
In August 2016, an Igbo drug dealer was guillotined in Indonesia. But his funeral in Anambra was a rambunctious shin-dig. He was even described as a “hero” by his people.

I have skimmed through the list of alleged online fraudsters indicted by the FBI, in what is regarded as the biggest scam bust in US history, and I could see familiar names. It is heartbreaking for me. The refrain that criticising your own people for shortcomings is an act of sanctimony is obtuse. Crime has no ethnic face, but does that imply condoning or rationalising a persistent ill?

I have said it before, we have a problem. The Igbo have a problem. Out of the 21 Nigerians on death-row for drug peddling in Indonesia, 20 are Igbo – from my state – Anambra. Personally, I feel violated by this.
A few months ago, some armed robbers of Igbo origin launched an attack on a bureau de change in Dubai, but they were arrested. It is painful, instead of exporting the durable products of Aba, we are exporting crime and violence. That Nigerians are a pariah in South Africa is partly due to the activities of some Igbo drug cartel.

But what happens when these drug gangs return to the south-east? A bazaar of bloodshed. A few years ago, there was a massacre at a church in Ozubulu, Anambra. The killings were linked to a drug war between rival gangs in South Africa. The gangs took their battle out of the turf to native soil. Really, we are baiting the hurricane.

And now, out of the 77 names listed for online fraud in the US, 74 are Igbo. We have a problem. We cannot solve this problem by living in denial.
I agree, there are millions of us doing great things in our fields, but we must condemn the activities of these criminals among us. They do not represent us, but their actions are capable of making an execrable impression of all us.
One drop of dirt is enough to make a basin of water impure. We must have serious conversations on this atypical criminality.
The argument that the Igbo are marginalised and that they are deprived because of the civil war, so very few among them are forced into crime is puerile. This is a terrible way to rationalise a problem that dents the entire group. There is no excuse for crime.
We have a culture that glorifies ‘’money’’ crime – ‘’ego mbute’’ – the culture of money grubbing and worship, as the-be-all and end-all of everything. It is a pervasive culture, not limited to the Igbo though.
We need value re-orientation, and this should be actuated by all groups – age grades and traditional institutions. We must stop celebrating people of unknown fortune. We must name and shame those with illicit wealth in our communities. We should upbraid them instead of giving them chieftaincy titles and front-row seats in church.

What exactly do we discuss at annual August meetings and town-union meetings? Enough should be enough. We cannot keep ignoring this filth.
We have a problem. A crime culture.


@FredrickNwabufo



https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thecable.ng/the-igbo-crime-culture-2/amp

Reparations.....see it that way.

Colonization wasn't a crime abi?

.

I live in Lagos and I used to think this cyberfraud was a city thing, as many kids are easily adopting it as a culture all around.

But the last time I went home, I wept for how deeply enmeshed the youth are in cyberfraud. It was seen as an alternative should honest work fail to yield easy riches.
Even those who can't spell the name of the phone they operate are also into cybercrime..or so they claim.
Despite the number of honest elders that go before them, a depressing number of the youths have chosen to tow another path.
I refer back to my service year, where we battled to 'force' kids to abandon their means of 'livelihood' and attend secondary school. When some of them happened to come into the corpers' lodge while we were lamenting the job insecurity ahead. One of the visiting student asked what the aim was then, if they will get all these education and can't be comfortable from it.
On one of my visit home yesteryears, a suspected yahoo kid bought a new car, brought it to his family compound with two 'cartons' of beer and some interesting edibles to ask that elders bless his car and pray over him. The prayer and feasting that occured there and then, not one thought was raised over the source.
Religion plays a crucial role in how accepted a person is in Igboland. How many churches outrightly turn down and condemn whomever is well-known to be involved in such fraudulent dealings? Very few, if they are to succeed, as the church is somewhat political in dealings as well.

Until these key elements retrace their steps, it's going to be a terrible outing for us from the east. For as long as there is a comforting shoulder still at home for them to cry on, condemnation will have little or no effect.

When you marginalise a people who are over 50 million in population, get ready for what you will get. These are ,
{1} Unrest.
{2} Crime.
{3) More crime.
{4} More unrest.

PFRB:
When you marginalise a people who are over 50 million in population, get ready for what you will get. These are ,
{1} Unrest.
{2} Crime.
{3) More crime.
{4} More unrest.

Very terrible excuse.
When you lose an election out of plain stupidity ( remember Nnamdi Kanu's boycott of the election against all sane advice), you go back to the drawing board,reunite your people, make realignments and reposition yourself.
You don't go about causing problems for every other person and people who played good politics.

If you claim marginalization is the cause, are they also marginalized abroad?
Or is it other people from other regions of the country that vote in your state governors and other leaders?

Crime, no matter the justification, is crime.

PFRB:
When you marginalise a people who are over 50 million in population, get ready for what you will get. These are ,
{1} Unrest.
{2} Crime.
{3) More crime.
{4} More unrest.

Rie nsi oku ebe ahu!


Anako ife di mkpa ezi ofia ana akogheli!

PFRB:
When you marginalise a people who are over 50 million in population, get ready for what you will get. These are ,
{1} Unrest.
{2} Crime.
{3) More crime.
{4} More unrest.

Keep at it

Cybercrime isn't perpetrated by only Igbos... Back here in d country we all know d southwest is d lesding region in cyber crime. It's jus due to d Igbo man's nature to always travel away from his home to make a living

Where are the elders ? Shame on them
Where are the parents ? Shame on them
Where are the leaders ? Shame on them

It is indeed a tragedy.

These thieves, miscreants, yahoo boys and kidnappers must be rooted out.

The latest one is that they blame Fulani for all the murders and kidnappings in the east.

Really terrible.

Nbote:
Cybercrime isn't perpetrated by only Igbos... Back here in d country we all know d southwest is d lesding region in cyber crime. It's jus due to d Igbo man's nature to always travel away from his home to make a living

Travel and commit crime ??

im more concerned that, it's okay to say 'killer fulani herdsmen' in this forum but your post gets hidden if you say 'igbo yahoo boy'.


is this forum runned by igbos?

LegoMetahuman:
im more concerned that its okay to say killer fulani herdsmen in this forum but your post gets hidden if you say igbo yahoo boy.


is this forum run by igbos?

Just try to receive sense ASAP

The "get rich syndrome" in the east is alarming. I blame their parents, elders and leaders for this.

immhotep:

Just try to receive sense ASAP

does this change the fact that 80 igbos just wrecked the small image nigeria still has left?

explain your stupiidity to me?.

The Igbo's needs to tell themselves the truth,I believe the following are the problems based on my own assertions:
1) The Church;Most igbo's are catholic and Anglican naturally and most of them believe in purgatory ,
2)Parenting; Most Igbo parents over pressurizes their kids and encourage their kids to get rich by any means
3)The government;Igbo's should blame their state governors for providing little or no amenities in their states
4)The Elders And Elites; The Igbo's elders n elites have failed,cause they are scared of their youths

vivalavida:


Who is this idiat

Sophisticated fool like you,you have no sense cause ur parents never taught you to have regards for people
Grow up

LegoMetahuman:
does this change the fact that 80 igbos just wrecked the small image nigeria still has left?

explain your stupiidity to me?.

Nigger-Area: a kwontry wasted many years ago.

frosbel2:
Where are the elders ? Shame on them
Where are the parents ? Shame on them
Where are the leaders ? Shame on them

It is indeed a tragedy.

These thieves, miscreants, yahoo boys and kidnappers must be rooted out.

The latest one is that they blame Fulani for all the murders and kidnappings in the east.

Really terrible.

this is the most dangerous part....their is no worser enemy than somebody that was falsely accused....

Those of you jumping like kangaroo and counting the number of Igbo scammers on FBI list, I hope you are also counting the number of Igbo scientists, Doctors, Professors, engineer s, Academic record breakers in Ivy schools, IT gurus, NFL players, in the USA!!!

immhotep:

Nigger-Area: a kwontry wasted many years ago.

80 igbos stole 1.1billion dollars in 6months


thats a world record


lets not forgot the thousands languishing prison or on death-row in asia



let's not forget this record
120 igbos arrested for drugs in Cambodia

Copied

REVEALED: Full Names Of The 23 Nigerians On Death Row In Saudi Arabia



THE LIST
Adeniyi Adebayo Zikri
Tunde Ibrahim
Jimoh Idhola Lawal
Lolo Babatunde
Sulaiman Tunde
Idris Adewuumi Adepoju
Abdul Raimi Awela Ajibola
Yusuf Makeen Ajiboye
Adam Idris Abubakar
Saka Zakaria
Biola Lawal
Isa Abubakar Adam
Ibrahim Chiroma
Hafis Amosu
Aliu Muhammad
Funmilayo Omoyemi Bishi,
Mistura Yekini
Amina Ajoke Alobi
Kuburat Ibrahim
Alaja Olufunke Alalade Abdulqadir
Fawsat Balogun Alabi
Aisha Muhammad Amira
and Adebayo Zakariya

LegoMetahuman post=81546548[s:
]80 igbos stole 1.1billion dollars in 6months


thats a world record


let's not forget this record
120 igbo arrested for drugs in asia

[img]https://cdn3.imggmi.com/uploads/2019/8/24/273d61c6fd03d287bdf7pg[/[/s]img]

Ndi Igbo amaka

The Bitter Truth

Toroso:
Coupled from ipob website

Why not test your theory. Google the names I provided and tell me if it came from IPOB. After which, be sure to display it here. Oya I double dare you to prove it came from Ipob website.

If it’s not compiled by FBI pls go to hell with it

Ikechunna:


Why not test your theory. Google the names I provided and tell me if it came from IPOB. After which, be sure to display it here. Oya I double dare you to prove it came from Ipob website.

Toroso:
If it’s not compiled by FBI pls go to hell with it

Compiled by BBI - Biafura Bureau of Criminality Investigation.

Toroso:
If it’s not compiled by FBI pls go to hell with it

You're actually slow. Didn't anyone inform you that USA government has several fractions of persecutors.

Let me help you out since you're afraid to show us the IPOB media outlet my list came from

United States Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI Declare 18 Nigerians Most Wanted…Three Arrested, 15 Others on Trail

*Interpol, EFCC comb for Criminals’ Hideout

*SUSPECTS’ Name: Adebowale Shekoni (40), Abiodun Bakare (37), Rilwan Ayatonde Soetan (50), Kenneth Eromosele Abulu (36), Olselcita Folayan (41), Musiliu Balogun (40), Mutiat Titilola Olubi (51), Ahiata Folashade Price (46), Monsuratu Omoniyi Griggs(43), Ayodele Soyan (51), Ahuama Benjamin Okey (50), Basiratu Mojisola Bakare-Giles (47), Adegboyega Olukunle Odedina (36), Alex Ahmed Ero (51), Seye Richard Osinoiki(46)

*ARRESTED: Steve Adedeji, Apampa Olayinka, Olugbemiga Adebisi (a.k.a.) George Banks

FBI oneBY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

THEY ARE ALL NIGERIANS, living on the fast lane. They are members of a syndicate group involve in drugs, identity theft of innocent American victims and various American bank fraud running into millions. They have all brought shame to Africa’s populous nation by their evil trades and opprobrium. They have all brought shame, disgrace and embarrassment to Nigeria and Nigerians. The United States Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), narcotics agents, US Federal Bureau of Intelligence(FBI), International Police Organization (INTERPOL), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigeria’s Anti-Fraud Unit of Nigeria Police Force are all hands on the deck in trailing these 18 Nigeria’s Most Wanted criminals.

A manhunt is on to arrest 15 of them. Already, three others have been arrested by Interpol officers in Lagos. They are wanted for multi-million dollar bank frauds, identity theft, drug pushing and, in the case of one of them, the rape of an expectant mother. Corroborating this view, Atinuke Koyi, Commissioner of Police in charge of Interpol, confirmed the arrests of three of the suspects.

Meanwhile US Secret Service, DEA, United States Marshals Service, the US. Postal Inspection Service and the office of the New York State Governor, David Paterson named some of those wanted as: Adebowale Shekoni (40), Abiodun Bakare (37), Rilwan Ayatonde Soetan (50), Kenneth Eromosele Abulu (36), Olselcita Folayan (41), Musiliu Balogun (40) and Mutiat Titilola Olubi (51).The others are: Ahiata Folashade Price (46), Monsuratu Omoniyi Griggs (43), Ayodele Soyan (51), Ahuama Benjamin Okey (50), Basiratu Mojisola Bakare-Giles (47), Adegboyega Olukunle Odedina (36), Alex Ahmed Ero (51) and 46-year-old Seye Richard Osinoiki, who is wanted for the rape of the expectant mother. Those already arrested are: Steve Adedeji, Apampa Olayinka and Olugbemiga Adebisi (a.k.a.) George Banks).

Media reports say that the FBI has also embarked on a joint operation with EFCC and the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) in Nigeria, to arrest others who may be hiding in the country.

In the US, the dragnet, according to Assistant Director of Criminal Investigations at the FBI, Chip Burrus, involves 56 field offices, “We hope that publicity would help find and bring the fugitives to justice.”

This correspondent learnt that Shekoni, who was residing in Atlanta, Georgia, was indicted for 13 bank frauds, conspiracy, passing counterfeit cheques, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and money laundering conspiracy. His case summary says he entered the United States illegally and had been involved with a counterfeit cheque cashing ring.

Those involved in cheque kitting frauds against multiple banks, which had caused the United States millions of dollars in losses to banks and merchants, usually open business accounts, mostly under gas station identities. They use the bank cheques to float between bank accounts and systematically withdraw money from these accounts prior to the banks awareness that the worthless cheques are either drawn from accounts with insufficient funds or closed accounts.

These Nigerian criminals also use worthless cheques drawn on the accounts to buy items from wholesale distributors. The case against Soetan is listed thus: “Aggravated identity theft and fraud.”

The Secret Service, Miami office says: “Rilwan Soetan is a Nigerian national identified as part of an organised group responsible for the compromise of more than 2000 personal credit card reports. Subsequent aggravated identity theft/fraud perpetrated by Soetan and his group have resulted in significant financial losses.

“Bakare, who is wanted for financial crimes, is also accused of using a vehicle to knock down a Federal Officer while escaping arrest. The case summary states: “This individual is wanted for charges related to financial crimes and assault on a federal officer. Bakare ran an elaborate financial scheme in which he used stolen personal information to open fraudulent credit card accounts.”

Folayan, a DEA- listed fugitive, is accused of Federal drug violations, including alleged conspiracy to distribute heroin in the Northern district of Illinois. His poster warns people not to attempt apprehending him. Rather, people who see him should alert the US Marshals Service.
A warning from the Secret Service on the fugitives says: “Do not attempt to apprehend any of these individuals. Contact the Secret Service or local police; or, if overseas, the nearest US Embassy or Consulate if you have information regarding these individuals.”

Federal Agents in the United States say that Musiliu Balogun, who has been on the run for about five years, was behind a drug distribution network, moving as much as 80 per cent of the white heroin coming into the United States from Southeast Asia. When the ring was smashed, 24 suspects were arrested and over 72 kilogrammes of heroin seized. Balogun and his girlfriend Mutiat Titilola Olubi were identified as leaders of the drug cartel. They were once sighted in Togo and Thailand. Born on September 5, 1963, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Balogun is believed to be one-metre seventy-six centimeters tall. He weighs 75 kilogrammes, has black hair and brown eyes.

Besides Mutiat Olubi, details of crimes committed by other Nigerian women who appeared on the Most Wanted list were also given. One Ahiata Folashade Price is wanted for conspiracy to distribute heroin. Monsurat Omoniyi Griggs and Basiratu Bakare-Giles were accused of the same offence in different regions of the United States.

Detectives at the Detroit Division are still searching for Ahuama Benjamin Okey, identified as Fugitive NCIC-W163933955. He is wanted for alleged Federal Drug Violations and conspiracy to distribute heroin at the Eastern district of Michigan.

In the Maryland district, Odedina is wanted for bank fraud. US Postal Inspection Service in Colorado district is looking for Ahmed Ero over mail fraud.

Information at the Atlanta office of the Secret Service Agents shows that a 36-year-old Kenneth Eromosele Abulu is wanted for passing counterfeit currency and using false identification.

The US Secret Service investigative mission is to safeguard the payment and financial systems of the United States. It has been collaborating with Nigerian agencies striving to give the nation a good image. “When they send specific request to us, we assist in tracking the criminals. But if they’re looking for somebody and a formal request is not made, there is nothing we can do,” said Mrs Koyi, the Interpol boss.

She said following specific requests, her men arrested one 50-year-old Olugbemiga Adebisi aka George Banks. According to her, Banks was arrested at the Murtala The Great Prophet International Airport, Lagos on arrival from China where he had served a one- year jail term for bank fraud.

Detectives even wondered why the fugitive calls himself George Banks, the name of a Pennsylvania mass murderer, who shot 13 people in 1982 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, five of them his own children.

In the US, the Nigerian George Banks was declared wanted for Access Device Fraud, Aggravated Identity theft, mail theft, social security number violations and other frauds. He allegedly escaped from New Hampshire to China and committed the same offences.

The Chinese authorities, however, got him.“Each time Adebisi commits the crimes, their monitor catches him. Yet, he kept on running from one country to another.” In China, Adebisi seemed to have found wisdom in the saying “When you’re in Rome, do like the Romans.” He bleached his skin and altered his features to look like the Chinese.

The two other persons in Interpol’s net are Steve Adedeji and Apampa Olayinka. They were caught when they approached the US Embassy to renew their visas, thinking that the search for them was over. Interestingly, the Interpol allowed them home on bail after the US Secret Service failed to respond to letters sent by the security outfit. Adedeji and Olayinka now report at the Interpol office at Alagbon every Monday.
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Olayinka Balogun told confirmed that the SFU had been collaborating with international agencies to check the activities of fraudsters: “Generally, they send scam letters to us and ask us to help track some of these criminals. There are some cases that we are working on right now.”

On his part, EFCC admitted the anti-graft agency’s collaboration with the American agencies, saying: “We have good working relationship with the major agencies around the world. FBI is one of the backbones of the EFCC, it has trained some of our people. We’ve worked extremely closely with them. We’ve had some joint operations in Lagos area and intercepted outbound mails sent by fraudsters with fake cheques and all sorts of documents. We’re also working with the German police and the South African Scorpion. They have so much trust in the EFCC because of our achievements in the war against fraudsters over the years.”

https://nigeriastandardnewspaper.com/ng/multi-million-dollar-bank-fraud-drug-indentity-theft-in-usa-united-states-secret-service-drug-enforcement-administration-fbi-declare-18-nigerians-most-wanted-three-arrested-15-others-on-trail/

Nine Nigerians have been arrested in the United States of America for defrauding businesses and individuals of more than $3.5million.

This was made known by Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James C. Spero, Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) Special Agent-in-Charge of the Tampa, Florida, Field Office of US, in an announcement made on Thursday.

The suspects allegedly posed as oil workers in Russia.

Further investigations showed that each of the defendants possesses three different emails used in defrauding their victims.

The suspects are Oluwaseun Adelekan a.k.a. Sean Adelekan, Olalekan Daramola, Solomon Aburekhanlen, Gbenga Oyeneyin, Abiola Olajumoke, Temitope Omotayo, Bryan Eadie, Albert Lucas and Ademola Adebogun.

Each of the suspects faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants deployed three different email schemes to defraud their victims.

“The common denominator in all three schemes was the defendants’ alleged fleecing of their victims through fictitious online identities.

“The schemes allegedly earned the defendants $3.5 million – and also arrests on federal felony charges.”

HSI Special Agent-in-Charge James C. Spero said: “A transnational criminal organisation allegedly conducting illicit domestic and international wire fraud has been dismantled thanks to the hard work of HSI Tampa and Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

“This case illustrates the unique investigative authority and international reach of HSI.”

As alleged in their indictment, the defendants participated in a scheme to defraud businesses and individuals through several categories of false and misleading representations, including but not limited to:

"Sending victims email messages that appeared to be, but were not, from legitimate business counterparties that included instructions to the victims to wire payment to those seemingly legitimate business counterparties into bank accounts that were actually under the control of, and/or maintained by, Adelekan, Daramola, Aburekhanlen, Oyeneyin, Olajumoke, Omotayo, Eadie, Lucas, and Adebogun (the “Business Email Compromise Scam”);

"Sending email messages and text messages to at least one victim offering an opportunity to invest in oil stored in Russian oil tank farms conditioned on that victim wiring upfront payments into bank accounts purportedly affiliated with the purported oil investment but actually opened by and under the control of Aburekhanlen, Olajumoke, and Oyeneyin (the “Russian Oil Scam”); and

"Sending email messages and text messages to at least one victim from an individual (or individuals) purporting to be a female with romantic intentions toward the victim requesting, further to establishing a romantic relationship, the wiring of payment into a bank account under the control of Omotayo (the “Romance Scam”).

http://saharareporters.com/2019/04/27/nine-nigerians-arrested-us-35m-fraud