Metro
Romance scam: Two US-based Nigerians face 40-year jail term
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Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, each face up to 20 years in a United States prison after being convicted by a federal jury for orchestrating a $560,000 romance scam.
In a statement released on Monday evening and obtained by PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, the US Attorney, Alexander Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, revealed through the Department of Justice that the Nigerian pair was convicted of perpetrating the scam following a four-day trial and under three hours of jury deliberation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that the two Nigerian nationals, in partnership with other accomplices, initiated a scheme in January 2016, using a fabricated identity, “Glenn Brown,” on the dating website, eHarmony.com.
Prosecutors revealed that the fraudulent profile was later used to establish a romantic relationship with a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Along with other accomplices, the defendants allegedly obtained thousands of the US dollars from the victim.
The statement said, “Throughout the fraud, the victim was led to believe that their financial assistance was necessary for ‘Glenn Brown’ to complete a purported construction project in Malaysia and return safely to the United States.
“The victim sent approximately $560,000 to various accounts in the United States, Canada, and Malaysia between January 2016 and April 2017.
“On September 27, 2016, the victim wired approximately $28,000 to a Woodforest Bank account in the name of Daramola Cars, as instructed by the fraudulent “Glenn Brown” persona. Daramola subsequently wired $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a check (cheque) for $14,000.”
Although Daramola was said to have denied involvement in the romance scheme, a statement from the FBI Albuquerque Field Office revealed that text and WhatsApp messages on his phone exposed his role in supplying bank accounts for the multiple fraud schemes.
The statement highlighted that Ogunlaja’s involvement included using his Bank of America account “for receiving fraudulent funds.”
It was noted that “Glenn Brown” specifically instructed the victim to deposit $20,000 in cash into Ogunlaja’s account on March 9 and March 15, 2016.
After receiving the deposits from the victim, Ogunlaja was said to have made several cash withdrawals and transferred them to Daramola’s account.
A report by PUNCH Metro on November 26, 2024, detailed how two other Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, were sentenced by a US federal jury to a combined 30-year prison term for defrauding US citizens of $3,500,000.
The convicted individuals were said to have deceived their victims by claiming they had received large inheritances that required a fee to access.
Heavily armed gunmen on Sunday morning reportedly abducted a seminarian of St Joseph Catholic Church and several other persons in Enugu State.
The gunmen were said to have invaded the Catholic church in the Inoyi community, Affa town, Udi Local Government Area of the state, and abducted the seminarian and an undisclosed number of other worshippers.
According to a video circulating online, the attackers stormed the church premises in the early hours of Sunday while residents were attending morning Mass.
A resident, who did not disclose his name in the video, said it was raining as people made their way to the church.
“Those who were on their way to the church saw a crowd running out of the premises. They were told that at least seven armed men had invaded the church and abducted some members, including the seminarian,” he said.
The residents said they pursued the kidnappers but were unable to do much because they were unarmed while the abductors were heavily armed.
He said members of the community were willing and able to protect themselves and enter the surrounding forests to search for the kidnappers.
However, the residents, who were gripped by fear following the incident, questioned how they could carry out such an operation without weapons.
They said even local security operatives in the area were not armed.
The residents called on the state government to intervene and ensure their safety or provide them with the means to defend themselves.
They also lamented that one of the abducted persons was an indigene of the community who had returned home to bury his father.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from officials of the Enugu State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, was left stunned after two suspected drug dealers requested to take a photograph with him shortly after they were arrested and interrogated.
The suspects, identified as Omini Ezeri, 46, and Chinedum Wagbara, 42, were apprehended during a stop-and-search operation while travelling in a Mercedes-Benz ML SUV with registration number AAA 604 JZ along the Agbarho-Warri Road.
A search of the vehicle and its occupants led to the recovery of two Beretta pistols, a substance suspected to be cocaine, and a dagger. The suspects are currently in police custody, while investigations continue.
As part of the investigation, Edafe interrogated the suspects. Shortly after the interview, the duo surprised the police spokesperson by asking to take a photograph with him.
In a follow-up post shared on social media, Edafe said he had never encountered such behaviour before, explaining that the suspects appeared to become excited once they realised he intended to interview them.
He added that despite being arrested with cocaine and two pistols, which they claimed were used for their drug business, they still requested to take a picture with him after the interrogation.
The Catholic Diocese of Otukpo in Benue State has confirmed the safe return of its seminarian, Kelvin Ochai, who was abducted by gunmen at Asa III in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Itodo, on Saturday.
Itodo attributed the seminarian’s safe return to divine intervention and the prayers of Christians and well-wishers.
According to the diocese, the seminarian escaped from the custody of his abductors and made his way to Aliade in Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, where he was reunited with his family unharmed.
“Through the prayers of the people of God, Kelvin escaped from the custody of his abductors on the evening of Friday, 31st July, 2026, and made his way to Aliade, Gwer East LGA of Benue State. He has since been safely reunited with his family and is unharmed,” the statement read in part.
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, expressed profound gratitude to priests, religious, lay faithful, and people of goodwill for their unwavering support and prayers during the period of the seminarian’s captivity.
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