The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a notorious hacker, identified as Onuma Osita, who infiltrated the financial system of the Enugu State government and siphoned N1,097,700,300 from its coffers.
The arrest was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Nigeria Police Force-National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), which launched a detailed investigation into the cyber theft.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that the stolen funds, valued at $754,977, had been successfully recovered and returned to the state government’s treasury.
Adejobi stated, “The NPF-NCCC investigated a report by the Enugu State Government against one Onuma Osita, who defrauded the government of over N1billion in a procurement fraud scheme. The suspect has been arrested, and the funds have been secured.”
He said, “The suspect was arrested and the sum off N1,097,700,300 approximately $754,977 was recovered and returned to the Enugu State government.
“14 land documents recovered as proceeds of crime, 685 devices recovered comprising 467 phones, 137 laptops, 46 routers, four star link, 28 desktop, four servers and a drone.”
Adejobi said operatives also apprehended a suspected cybercriminal, Douglass Victor, who was linked to a syndicate specialising in identity theft, business email compromise, computer-related fraud and money laundering.
He explained that the syndicate, allegedly led by one Diepreye Samuel, operated internationally, targeting companies and individuals through compromised email communications to divert funds for personal use.
According to Adejobi, “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to customers’ email addresses and passwords, compromising business conversations, and diverting funds to their syndicate.
“Thousands of compromised email credentials and login details were recovered from his Skype account. The suspect further disclosed that the syndicate operates internationally, with members located across the globe.”
“Communication and transactions among the members are conducted exclusively through Skype, making their operations highly elusive. Efforts are currently in top gear to track and apprehend the head of the syndicate and other members who remain at large,” Adejobi added.
