News

Nigerian fraudster Omole pleads guilty to massive fraud in U.S., faces 20 years jail term

Nigerian fraudster, Oluseun Martin Omole aka ‘Seun Omole’ has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his participation in a widespread scheme to defraud thousands of victims in the United States and elsewhere of thousands of consumer electronics and other goods totaling more than $12 million.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Omole pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.

Williams said: “Over the course of approximately five years, Oluseun Martins Omole received more than $12 million worth of fraudulently obtained consumer electronics and other items.

“Thousands of victims believed that they were sending these electronics and items to romantic lovers, legitimate buyers, and reputable employers.

“Instead, they went straight to Omole, who repackaged those electronics and goods and shipped them in bulk to co-conspirators located overseas in exchange for the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars. Those like Omole who participate in such fraud schemes will find themselves facing prison time.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and Complaint, the plea agreement, and other public filings and statements made in court: From at least in or about February 2018 through at least in or about March 2023, Omole participated in a criminal enterprise based in Nigeria (the “Enterprise”), which orchestrated various scams to defraud thousands of victims in the United States and elsewhere of more than $12 million in consumer electronics, including smartphones, smart watches, laptops, and tablets, among other items.

The scams perpetrated by the members of the Enterprise included (i) romance scams, in which Enterprise members sent electronic communications to victims feigning romantic intentions, gained their trust and affection, and took advantage of that goodwill to induce victims into sending consumer electronics and other money or property to OMOLE;

(ii) online marketplace scams, in which Enterprise members sent electronic communications to victims feigning interest in buying consumer electronics, falsely represented to the victim that the items had been paid for, and instructed the victim to send the consumer electronics to Omole; and (iii) employment scams, in which Enterprise members posted phony jobs online and informed unwitting victims that they were hired before instructing victims to send electronics to OMOLE under the guise that those electronics were needed for the job (together, the “Fraudulent Electronics Scams”).

During the relevant time period, Omole owned and operated a business corporation named Tobylink Impessions, Inc., a/k/a Tobylink Impressions, Inc. (“Tobylink”), which claimed to be a distributor, re-seller, and supplier of satellite communications equipment. In reality, however, Tobylink served as a vehicle through which Omole received thousands of fraudulently obtained goods from victims of the Enterprise before repackaging and shipping those items to various co-conspirators located in Nigeria.

During his participation in the conspiracy, Omole received and sent more than $12 million in consumer electronics and other items to other members of the Enterprise, in exchange for the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars in fees that OMOLE charged other Enterprise members.

Omole, 57, of Sugar Land, Texas, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

As part of his plea agreement, Omole agreed to pay restitution in an amount to be ordered by the Court and to forfeit an amount of U.S. currency to be ordered by the Court, as well as various consumer electronics and other goods seized by law enforcement.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Omole’s sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.

News

Kogi govt confirms rescue of two women kidnapped in Yagba West

Two women kidnapped in the Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have been rescued from their abductors.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

While giving details of the security situation in the State, he disclosed that the state government under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is rising to the challenge of defeating the torrent of criminality waged against the state in the last month.

“It is believed that the torrent of attacks on insurgents, bandits, and kidnappers in the North East has dislodged them and many of them are now trying to find their feet in the North Central but the Kogi State Government is deploying an iron-cast approach to safeguarding the state from the fangs of criminals.

“With the rescue of 21 out of the 24 Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH) Osara students kidnapped last week so far, the State Government made a clear statement that Kogi will be ruthless against criminals in the State. This morning, we also received the heart-warming report of the rescue of the Yagba West woman who was kidnapped and another woman from Yagba East Local Government Area.

“We are still searching frantically for the 3 remaining students yet to be rescued as every Kogite’s life is important to the government. We have also secured the release of scores of kidnapped victims who are not even Kogites but who were kidnapped in their various states and taken to the forests,” he stated.

The Commissioner added that Governor Ododo had approved the immediate employment of thousands of local hunters across the 21 Local Government Areas, with the immediate task of going after the criminals and taking the fight to their camps and hideouts.

Continuing, Fanwo said “The Joint Forces of the Army, Police, DSS, NSCDC, Metropolitan Response Squad and Hunters Group are currently carrying our simultaneous operations in Lokoja as well as across the three Senatorial Districts, including border communities around Kogi State.

“Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has silently declared war on criminals in the state and deployed resources and forces to ensure the enemies of our people are defeated. The Governor also expresses profound gratitude to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for his support and encouragement to make Kogi a crime-free state.

“We want to assure our people that the Government is working hard to protect everyone and that the criminals are learning in a hard way that Kogi won’t be a ground for their criminal trade. The criminals are rattled and they won’t escape justice”.

He appealed to the citizens of Kogi State to play their part by volunteering intelligence to security agencies for the effective security of the State.

News

I am not distracted by Rivers crises- Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says he is not distracted by the ongoing crisis in Rivers State but rather he is focused on his duties as a minister.

Wike stated this while inspecting projects to be inaugurated in the nation’s capital on Friday, May 17.

The former Governor of Rivers State and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, have been at loggerheads since October 2023, when some lawmakers in the state began impeachment proceedings against the governor.

While addressing journalists during the inspection tour in Abuja, Wike stated that if he had been distracted, some of the projects that he noted were ready to be inaugurated would not be possible.

“I am not distracted. If I’m distracted, you won’t see this performance here. I focus on my work. I am the Minister of the FCT, and the works are going on. So, why would I be distracted? I don’t even think about it all,” he said

News

NiMET predicts 3-day of haze, thunderstorm from Saturday

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted dust haze and thunderstorms from Saturday to Monday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Friday in Abuja forecasts dust haze on Saturday over parts of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa and the northern part of Adamawa.

It envisaged prospects of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Bauchi, Kaduna and Taraba during the morning hours.

Later in the day, it said localised thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Kaduna and Taraba while the remaining parts of the North are expected to be in sunny skies.

NiMet said cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine are expected over the North Central region during the morning hours with chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, the Federal Capital Territory and Kwara States during the afternoon and evening periods.

According to the agency, cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine are anticipated over the southern States with chances of thunderstorms over parts of Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers during the morning periods.

It anticipated thunderstorms over parts of Enugu, Edo, Ebonyi, Imo, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos and Bayelsa states later in the day.

The agency added that sunny skies with patches of cloud are envisaged over the northern region on Sunday with chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Taraba State in the morning.

Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba States.

The North Central region should be cloudy with chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Kogi, the Federal Capital Territory and Niger states during the afternoon/evening hours.

The southern region should be mostly cloudy with prospects of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States during the morning hours.

NiMet predicted isolated thunderstorms over parts of Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Lagos states later in the day.

The agency envisaged a sunny atmosphere on Monday with patches of cloud over the northern region with prospects of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Jigawa, Bauchi and Gombe states during the morning
hours.

As the day progresses, it said isolated thunderstorms are envisaged over parts of Kaduna, Adamawa Borno, Zamfara and Taraba States.

The North Central region should be cloudy with prospects of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Kogi, Benue, the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau and Kwara during the afternoon and evening hours.

MiMet forecast a cloudy atmosphere with chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Imo, Abia, Enugu, Edo, Ekiti, Delta, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom during the afternoon and evening hours.

It urged the public to take adequate precautions as strong winds could precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.

The agency advised Airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecasts from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.