The Federal Criminal Investigation Department in Alagbon, Lagos, has apprehended Onyeabuchi Okafor, the son of renowned Nollywood actor John Okafor, also known as Mr. Ibu, over an alleged N50 million fraud perpetrated against his father. He was arrested alongside Jasmine Okekeagwu, a female accomplice, in connection with the alleged fraudulent activity.
According to ASP Aminat Mayegun, the department’s Public Relations Officer, the actor’s son and the woman purportedly conspired to defraud Mr. Ibu of N50 million that had been donated for his medical treatment. Mayegun confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Thursday.
The department claims to have recovered the entire sum that was allegedly siphoned from the actor’s medical fundraising bank account. The investigation was initiated following a petition filed by Diamond Waves Law, representing Mrs. Stella-Maris Okafor, the actor’s wife, who accused Onyeabuchi and Jasmine of fraudulent activities.
Mayegun disclosed that the actor had initiated a public fundraising campaign to cover his medical expenses, garnering contributions from numerous well-meaning individuals into a dedicated account. Initially, Stella-Maris managed the funds for the medical bills and family upkeep. However, it was alleged that Onyeabuchi and Jasmine manipulated Mrs. Okafor, gaining control of the actor’s phone and hacked into his banking details. They subsequently reinstalled the actor’s mobile banking applications on Onyeabuchi’s phone to execute their fraudulent plans, erasing the original applications from the actor’s device. Through these nefarious means, they assumed total control of the actor’s banking activities related to the public donations for his medical care.
The investigation reportedly revealed that the suspects transferred a total of N50 million from the actor’s public fundraising account to Onyeabuchi’s personal bank account. Additionally, forensic analysis of their illicit financial dealings concluded that the entire amount had been transferred before their apprehension. The spokesperson also highlighted incriminating WhatsApp messages exchanged between Onyeabuchi and Okekeagwu, outlining the step-by-step execution of their alleged conspiracy.
Furthermore, it was uncovered that the two suspects had orchestrated a fictitious marriage at the Ikoyi Marriage Registry, with intentions to flee to the UK and utilize the proceeds of their crime. Their plan included an already initiated UK Visa application. The forensic investigation also unveiled that the misappropriated N50 million was traced to Onyeabuchi’s bank account, with N5 million spent on dubious transactions. The remaining N45 million was successfully recovered.
The suspects have been charged to court as of Thursday.
NAN
