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Invictus Obi Released from U.S. Prison After Serving Time in $11 Million Fraud Case

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Obinwanne Okeke, the Nigerian businessman popularly known as Invictus Obi, has been released from United States federal prison after serving approximately six years for his involvement in an $11 million internet fraud scheme, multiple reports confirmed on Thursday.

Records from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator indicate that Okeke is listed as “Not in BOP Custody as of: 12/23/2025,” signaling his exit from federal incarceration ahead of his original projected release date of September 3, 2028.

Okeke, 38, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in February 2021 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charges stemmed from a sophisticated business email compromise (BEC) scheme between 2015 and 2019, where he and associates used phishing tactics to divert funds, including a major interception targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, a UK-based exporter linked to Caterpillar Inc.

Prosecutors described the operation as causing “staggering losses of about $11 million” to victims through impersonation and computer hacking.

His early release is widely attributed to good conduct credits and provisions under the First Step Act, a U.S. criminal justice reform law that allows sentence reductions for certain non-violent offenders.

Reports from outlets including Linda Ikeji’s Blog, Peoples Gazette, and BusinessDay indicate that deportation proceedings to Nigeria are underway, consistent with his non-U.S. citizen status and the terms of his plea agreement. As his crimes were federal, a transfer to state custody is considered unlikely.

Once hailed as a rising star in African entrepreneurship, Okeke founded the Invictus Group, claiming investments in construction, agriculture, oil and gas, telecommunications, and real estate across Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

In 2016, he was featured on Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 list, celebrated for his purported success story from humble beginnings.

His 2019 arrest by the FBI at Dulles International Airport as he attempted to leave the U.S. marked a dramatic fall, sparking widespread discussions on cybercrime, the allure of quick wealth, and scrutiny of young Nigerian entrepreneurs.

With his release, questions now focus on Okeke’s future: potential supervised release conditions in the U.S., his return to Nigeria, and any ongoing restrictions.

No official statement has been issued by U.S. authorities or Okeke’s representatives regarding the exact terms of his release.

The case continues to highlight global efforts to combat BEC scams, which remain a significant threat to businesses worldwide.

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Crime

KWARA UPDATE: Massacre Claims Over 170 in Deserted Nigerian Town – Govt Silent (Video)

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A devastating massacre has left a Nigerian town in ruins, with reports of massive civilian casualties and widespread devastation, as the local community reels from the horror.

According to accounts from the scene, the town now lies desolate, abandoned by survivors, with corpses littering the streets in scenes likened by witnesses to a poultry farm ravaged by disease bodies scattered indiscriminately, unrecovered, and contributing to an atmosphere of total abandonment and trauma.

Initial press reports have cited a death toll of at least 75, but local sources and eyewitness claims suggest the true figure is far higher, exceeding 170 killed in the attack. The incident has been described unequivocally as a massacre by military officials, including statements attributed to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the relevant army division, who characterized the event in those terms.

Despite the scale of the tragedy and the GOC’s public acknowledgment, the federal government team has yet to issue any official response or statement addressing the killings, recovery efforts, or security measures to prevent further violence. This silence has amplified local anguish amid the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

The attack underscores Nigeria’s persistent security challenges in vulnerable regions, where communities face repeated threats from armed groups, often leaving towns emptied and survivors displaced.

Authorities have not yet confirmed details on the perpetrators or the precise circumstances leading to the bloodshed, leaving many questions unanswered as the nation grapples with yet another episode of extreme violence.

More update soon. Watch video below:

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Bandits Kill at Least 35 in Deadly Raid on Remote Kwara Village

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Armed bandits launched a brutal overnight attack on the remote village of Woro in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing at least 35 people and setting homes and shops ablaze, according to local authorities and residents.

The assault occurred late Tuesday evening, around 6-7 p.m., when heavily armed gunmen stormed the community, shooting indiscriminately as panicked residents fled into surrounding bushland.

The attackers also torched buildings, including shops and reportedly the traditional ruler’s palace, leaving the king’s whereabouts unknown at the time of reporting.

Hon. Saidu Baba Ahmed, the lawmaker representing Kaiama in the Kwara State House of Assembly, confirmed the death toll had reached 35 by Wednesday morning, with many more residents still missing after escaping into the bush during the chaos.

Some sources described the attackers as terrorists possibly linked to groups spilling over from neighboring Niger State, amid rising insecurity in the border region.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the incident as a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” in response to ongoing counterterrorism operations in parts of the state.

Authorities have noted that the attack marks one of the deadliest incidents in Kwara this year, highlighting the persistent threat of banditry targeting isolated farming communities with killings, arson, and displacement.

Security forces are said to be reinforcing presence in the area, though initial reports indicate some discrepancies in early casualty figures, with some local accounts initially lower before bodies were recovered overnight.

The incident underscores the escalating violence in north-central Nigeria, where armed groups continue to exploit rural vulnerabilities despite government efforts to curb banditry and terrorism.

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DSS Arraigns Ex-AGF Malami, Son on Terrorism Financing and Illegal Firearms Charges

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The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, aiding and abetting terrorism, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The defendants appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. According to the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami alone faces Count One, accused of knowingly abetting terrorism financing sometime in November 2022 by refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were submitted to his office during his tenure as AGF.

In Counts Two to Five, both Malami and his son are jointly accused of engaging in conduct preparatory to committing acts of terrorism through the unlawful possession, without a valid licence, of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5.20 live rounds of cartridges, and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5.20 cartridges at their residence in Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, Kebbi State, sometime in December 2025. The offences allegedly contravene provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, 2004.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charges were read to them in open court.

Following their pleas, prosecuting counsel for the DSS, Calistus Eze, urged the court to remand the defendants in DSS custody pending trial. Defence counsel, Shuaibu Aruwa (SAN), made an oral application for bail, informing the court that Malami had been in DSS custody for approximately two weeks and had attended the proceedings directly from the hospital.

Justice Abdulmalik declined the oral bail application, stating that the Federal High Court, as a court of record, required a formal written application. She ordered that both defendants be remanded in DSS custody and directed the defence to file a proper bail application.

The matter was adjourned to February 20, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

This development follows Malami’s earlier arrest by DSS operatives on January 19, 2026, shortly after he perfected bail conditions in a separate 16-count money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he, his son, and wife faced related allegations.

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