Remembering the motivational criminal who made the Forbes listBarely a year into his arrest for internet fraud, Obinwanne Okeke, the CEO of the Invictus group, seems to be willing to make his confession at one of the sacred cathedrals of law in the United States of America.
The news of his arrest on 6 August, 2019, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) filtered into town like a thunderbolt striking Nigerians into numbness. "This can't be true," some admirer of the self-acclaimed grass-to-grace businessman mumbled. Before his arrest, Okeke had just been recognized by the prestigious Forbes magazine in 2016 as one of the 30 African entrepreneurs below the age 30 Africans need to watch out for. He took the world by storm, and so did his arrest.
Obi and his crime
Obinwanne, often referred to as Invictus Obi, was supposed to be the perfect example that hard work and dedication pay above all. After years of suffering and dedication, he made the Forbes lists of young African entrepreneurs at 28.
His success story, like most Cinderella stories, is inspirational. Born in Ukpor, a village 790 km from Abuja, as the 17th child of a polygamous father; it was reported he went to boarding school when he was 10, and subsequently lost his father at 16 which made him live from one relative to another.
Beating all odds, Obinwanne Okeke climbed to the echelon of success when he was able to employ hundreds of staff to his company named Invictus.
According to an interview he had with Bruce Whitfield in South Africa, he claimed to have started small "without seed capital". He also added that he had his first company at 14.
"I had my first company since I was 14. It was no overnight success," he claimed.
This inspirational story is, nevertheless, just a face-lift of his true and primary source of wealth. The exposé of his obscured source of wealth only came to light when he was arrested for internet fraud (Yahoo-yahoo) to the tune of $11 million (N4.1B, today's valuation) by the FBI.
His cronies and the young minds who once sat under his motivational speeches were left in shock. Those who were and are of the school of thought that his arrest was a witch-hunt for his success have been left in the dusk of conspiracy, when Invictus Obi decides to enter a guilty plea bargain for his crimes. He had been charged with two counts of wire and computer fraud.
As someone who fleeced others of their hard earned money, entering a guilty plea bargain is a smart move he might have carefully considered, having in mind he would be sentenced for lesser prison time as opposed to the 20-30 years that await him if found guilty.
The Forbes' lists
As the world drifts faster into materialism, the Forbes' yearly lists of world's leading elites have been a source of pride to some; a source of inspiration it is to others. However, questionable characters have graced these most coveted lists. Their criteria for selections have oftentimes been questioned, so is the source of wealth of others.
Like Invictus Obi, Pablo Escobar made Forbes' international billionaires list 7 years in a row, beginning in 1987. The Colombia drug lord had no source of wealth other than his dealing in the cocaine business, but he was continuously featured in the list of world richest people for 7 years. If he was not killed, probably he would still have retained a spot in it. Many questionable characters have since made the list in one capacity or the other.
If people with shady business ventures could be glorified on such global Magazine's lists and share the same stage as genuine business moguls, then no one should draw inspiration from its listing. It should not be seen as a validation of success, but a compilation of wealth whose sources are frantically unknown.
Why didn't Obi stop after his initial success?
No one can stipulate why he attempted fraud or why he supposedly continued in it, except him. But when you are ranked by Forbes in a 'questionable' list of 30 African entrepreneurs below the age 30 to watch out for in a few years time, you feel the need to do more in the quest to remain relevant.
Having been recognised by an internationally known magazine like Forbes, I believe it is the kind of approval he needed to continue in the business of the underworld. Perhaps, in his greedy quest to be ranked amongst the top billionaires in Nigeria and Africa, knowing full well his source of income has been thoroughly cemented by his lies, he felt the need to make one more big score before retiring from the fraudulent business.
No doubt, this is not his first time as an internet fraudster. In one of his interviews, he claimed the source of his wealth was the many jobs he did while in Australia.
He said: “I had to prioritize my dreams and aspirations, for example, I started off with an events and entertainment company for students, then I went off to Australia where I did all kinds of jobs just to survive. Saved up, came home and invested all my savings in my company.”
It all makes sense now. What jobs did he do that made him so much that he could invest in his company to go that big? Mind you, according to his Nairaland profile, he went to Australia in 2012. And by 2016, he was on the Forbes' list -- what a transformation within four years. Definitely, he had some shady platform as his springboard.
When you have loads of 'maga', who are unsuspecting of your dealings and pay you their hard earned money, you continue without remorse. That Obi did without the knowledge that he was being investigated by the FBI.
He, through his lawyer, initially claimed the FBI was overstepping its jurisdiction in his arrest. He later admitted he committed crimes relating to computer frauds, but argued it was not in the US. He never knew the company he defrauded had ties with the FBI.
Obi might just be a case of a good mind corrupted by the alluring influence of the growing darkness in the world. His Nairaland posts suggest thus. He cared so much to have employed a few hundreds of people in his Invictus conglomerate. His love for his mama is visible when he listed her as a board member in his company.
“I had to take my life into my own hands at a young age. My dream was a better life and most importantly, a house for my mother,” he said passionately of his dream driven by his love for his mother.
From being passionately driven by mom to being driven by greed, hopefully, he has not shattered his mama's heart. Hopefully, she still retains the house he built for her.
Why rob people to enrich yourself? Why break hearts to make yours merry? I hope we learn to know who we draw our inspiration from -- who motivates you?
“...If there is any part of you that appears to be a limitation, don’t let it hold you back. Take deliberate steps to develop yourself to match your weakness, growth is continuous. Associate with people that will inspire you and are ready to support you. Develop these traits in the right proportion. Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try...” advised Okeke in the 2018 TEDxYaba show.
Since he intends to plead guilty, I would... Continue reading here... https://www.operanewsapp.com/ng/en/share/detail?news_id=0a08b3dc8d22e0550f5a9569592e6420&news_entry_id=s51d3804a200603en_ng&open_type=tanscoded&request_id=news_c275fe8d-f758-47bd-85f5-6d4f376e3dc9&from=news 
|
