Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a Nigerian for allegedly defrauding 139 Australians.
The agency said the suspect identified as Osen Usie Otukpa defrauded his victims to the tune of $AUD8,000,000 (eight million Australian dollars) before his arrest in Lagos.
“He was picked up in a stake out at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos upon arrival from the United States of America on Friday, December 6, 2024,” the agency said on Friday in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity Dele Oyewale.
The statement was also posted on the anti-graft agency’s X handle.
The suspect allegedly routed the proceeds of the crimes to his bank account via a cryptocurrency platform.
“Otukpa, who goes by five aliases, namely: Ford Thompson, Oscar Donald Tyler, Michael Haye, Jose Vitto, and Kristin Davidson scammed the victims by luring them on the social media to invest in his rogue cryptocurrency investment platform, Liquid Asset Group, LAG.”
The EFCC said the suspect “would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations”.