Nigerian School Leaver Extorted $40m From US Citizen

Lagos - A 19-year-old Internet fraudster, along with his accomplice, have been apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for reportedly extorting $40 million from an American citizen.

Tobechukwu Igbokwe and Ifeanyi Obi were arraigned before Justice Lawal of a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on a 12-count charge bordering on forgery, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences.

The suspects have been remanded in prison custody pending their bail hearing.

Igbokwe, a 19-year-old secondary school leaver, has, under fraudulent guises, allegedly duped his victims, many of them foreigners, of huge sums through the Internet.

He worked in concert with Obi to dupe an American, Michael Silva, of $40 million in an inheritance scam. Silva was led to believe that Igbokwe and his accomplice had a huge inheritance that they wanted to move to a foreign account for safekeeping. The victim was then asked to send money to "process" the transfer. In the process, $40 million were made in installments through Western Union Transfer to Igbokwe and Obi.

Tobechukwu Igbokwe, alias David Prince, alias John Emma, is facing charges for allegedly tricking other unsuspecting foreigners into handling him sums as large as $6,000, $15,000.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them.

Justice Akapo adjourned the matter till December 3, and ordered that the defendants be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos.