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Romance scam: US Court send Nigerian man to jailed for 51 months

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By Francesca Hangeior.

 

A Nigerian man, Uchenna Nlemchi, has been sentenced to 51 months in prison for his role in a romance scam and business email compromise scheme.

He was also ordered to pay $524,000 in restitution and a money judgment of $868,295.

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Nlemchi was extradited from Hungary to the United States of America last year.

There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement in a statement shared on their website on Thursday.

According to court documents, the scheme began in 2015, with a co-conspirator posing as “Sean Bartlett” and convincing a widow in New Mexico to send money for supposed business expenses.

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Nlemchi opened bank accounts in his name and the name of a non-existent business, “Jay Auto & Machine Parts,” and received over $375,000 from the victim.

Additionally, a German citizen was defrauded of over $200,000, which was wired to Nlemchi’s accounts. Nlemchi rapidly withdrew and transferred the funds, abandoning the accounts in February 2016.

The statement said in part, “On September 13, 2015, Uchenna Nlemchi opened a personal bank account at Amegy Bank in his own name. Sixteen days later, Nlemchi opened a fraudulent business bank account at the same bank in the name of the non-existent “Jay Auto & Machine Parts,” listing himself as the sole owner.

“Following the co-conspirator’s instructions over the next few months, the victim made several transfers into accounts controlled by Nlemchi totalling over $375,000 from her retirement savings and a home equity loan.

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“This included wiring $45,000 on October 7th to another person’s account, before sending $35,000 directly to the “Jay Auto & Machine Parts” account on October 9th, the same day the other person wired $44,000 into that account.

“On October 22nd, the victim transferred $125,346 from her and her late husband’s IRA accounts into Nlemchi’s “Jay Auto & Machine Parts” bank account. Then on December 7th, she took out a $170,000 home equity loan and immediately transferred the full amount to that account.

“Nlemchi rapidly withdrew and transferred globally over $868,000 that was deposited into the “Jay Auto & Machine Parts” account from the New Mexico victim and other fraud proceeds. Nlemchi abandoned the fraudulent accounts on February 29, 2016, as bank investigators closed in.

“At the time, Nlemchi was in the United States on a student visa and attended Texas Southern University. He was arrested in Houston, Texas in 2017 and released on electronic monitoring in the third-party custody of his wife and ordered to surrender his passport.”

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The statement added that “Nlemchi escaped from his monitoring system and fled to Mexico, then to Brazil, then back to his home in Nigeria. Nlemchi was an international fugitive for more than five years until his arrest in Hungary in 2023.

Nlemchi pleaded guilty in federal court to one count each of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in February 2024.

After serving his sentence, Nlemchi will face deportation proceedings and 3 years of supervised release.

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Insecurity: BUDA urges govt to quickly rescue Baruten from terrorists

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The Batombu Unity and Development Initiative, Abuja (BUDIA), has raised an alarm over invasion of Baruten in Kwara state by bandits and terrorists, demanding for urgent government intervention.

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by its President, Nasir Abubakar Othman and endorsed by the Board of Trustees.

The nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the welfare and development of the Batombu people, expresses grave concern over the worsening insecurity caused by escalating terrorism, which pose a critical threat to lives and properties in Baruten and Kaiama Local Government Areas of Kwara State.

“In recent months, communities in Baruten and Kaiama Local Government Areas, located near Kainji Lake National Park, have endured a surge in violent killings These blood birth has led to tragic loss of lives, widespread destruction of properties and a growing climate of fear and cessation of farming and economic activities.

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The violence has displaced and disrupted numerous families, local businesses and agricultural activities, as well as severely destabilized and displaced the affected areas.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
ALH. YUSUF TUNKU
Chairman
PROF. UMARU SEMO ISHIAKU Member
RT. HON. IBRAHIM ISA BIO
Member
RT. HON. ZAKARI MOHAMMED Member
RT. HON. MOHAMMED OMAR BIO
Member
IBRAHIM ALIYU KPEROGI
Member
SABIYABE YAHAYA Member
EXECUTIVES
BARR. ABUBAKAR NASIR OTHMAN
President
ABDULLAHI KABIR
Vice President
MOHAMMED JIBRIL FCA
General Secretary
ABDULLAHI HALIDU ALIYU
MADAKI’N GWANARA Treasurer
BARR. ABUBAKAR KOTO ALIYU
Legal Adviser
HAJIA AISHA AHMED OYORU President Women Wing

The towns of Chikanda, Yashikira, Kuburufu and Gure are now overwhelmed by the influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs), the majority of whom are women, children, and elderly individuals.

This critical situation calls for immediate intervention from the government and security agencies to restore order and protect vulnerable populations in these communities.

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BUDIA commends the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, along with senior military officials and representatives of security agencies, for visiting Kaiama as part of their ongoing assessment efforts.

However, we strongly urge the government to extend similar assessment visits to the troubled areas of Baruten Local Government Area to address the urgent needs of affected communities and adopt a comprehensive strategy to resolve this crisis.

Similarly, we call on all residents of Baruten and Kaiama to remain law abiding and vigilant, promptly reporting any suspicious activities or unfamiliar movements of strangers to security agencies stationed within their communities and to traditional rulers.
BUDIA stands in solidarity with all sons and daughters of Baruten and Kaiama as we urgently appeal for decisive military intervention to end the violence and restore peace and stability in our communities.

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Kano Judiciary Takes Action Against Judges, Suspend Registrars Over Misconduct

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The Kano State Judicial Service Commission has taken disciplinary action against two court registrars and two Upper Shari’a Court judges over misconduct.

This was contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Kano State Judiciary, Mr Baba Jibo-Ibrahim, on Monday in Kano.

He said that the decision was part of the resolutions reached at the JSC’s 80th meeting held on April 22, 2025.

He said the commission, in line with its mandate, adopted the recommendations of the investigation carried out by the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee and resolved to suspend and issue formal warnings to them.

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Those suspended are Ibrahim Adamu, Principal Registrar II of the Kano High Court, and Maigida Lawan, Principal Registrar of the Sharia Court of Appeal.

Upper Sharia Court Judges Alkali Mansur Ibrahim and Nasiru Ahmad were issued warnings.

Jibo-Ibrahim said Adamu, a Principal Registrar II of the Kano High Court of Justice, was suspended without pay for six months.

The statement added, “His promotion is deferred after a finding that confirmed he verbally assaulted and attempted to use physical force against his superior officer, amounting to gross misconduct in violation of the provisions of the Kano State Civil Service Rules 2004 and the JSC Regulations.

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“This is the second time Adamu has appeared before an investigative committee for violence-related actions at work, and he has been issued a series of queries.”

The commission found Adamu’s actions to be grossly unbecoming of his office and imposed the appropriate disciplinary sanctions.

The statement said Lawan, a Principal Registrar of the Kano State Sharia Court of Appeal, was suspended without pay for six months, immediately, after being found guilty of demanding and accepting improper gratification under false pretences.

“The commission adopted the recommendation of the JPCC, and Lawan was demoted by one grade level (from GL-13 down to GL-12),” the statement read.

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He said that the commission issued a warning to Malam Mansur Ibrahim, an Upper Shari’a Court judge, after evidence confirmed he used insulting and abusive language towards a litigant.

The JSC also issued a formal warning to Nasiru Ahmad, an Upper Shari’a Court judge, for ordering the detention of a judgment debtor in a manner that suggested personal interest and compromised judicial impartiality.

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UNUSUAL! Without invitation, Police declared me wanted — Daughter of ABC Transport owner

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Ihuoma Julia Nneji, 34, daughter of the owner of ABC Transport, claimed over the weekend that she was declared wanted by the police without any prior invitation or notification of a petition against her.

She was recently listed in a Special Police Gazette Bulletin issued by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF NCCC), Abuja, for criminal defamation, injurious falsehood, and cyberstalking.

In a statement, she insisted she never defamed or blackmailed anyone on her verified social media pages or elsewhere.

Instead, she claimed she is the victim of blackmail and threats from her former boyfriend, Henry Uzochukwu, the complainant in the case.According to her: “I met Henry Uzochukwu in April 2024, and we started getting to know each other. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned”.

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“This conflict began in August 2024 when I called off our wedding, scheduled for November 2024, due to unresolved issues regarding Henry’s sexuality. I found incriminating evidence suggesting he is gay and decided not to proceed with the marriage.

“Further investigations revealed not only his interest in men but also that he had been engaged multiple times without disclosing the reasons for the failed marriages. I discovered that the woman he was to marry before me left him a week before the wedding over the same issue.
“I was deceived and manipulated by the many lies he told.
“After I canceled the wedding, he began to harass me, threatened my life, and falsely accused me of operating an Instagram page spreading rumors about him — a claim that is speculative and untrue.”

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