Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Chris Johnson
Published on 2024-01-26 04:50:26
Detectives at the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbion, Ikoyi, Lagos, have made a significant recovery of N50 million allegedly withdrawn from the hacked bank account of Nollywood actor, Mr. John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu. This recovery also led to the arrest of Mr. Ibu’s son, Onyebuchi Okafor and his lover, Jasmine Okekeagwu. The pair was subsequently charged to court over conspiracy and stealing.
ASP Mayegun Aminat, spokesperson for the FCID, revealed that the arrest was made in response to a petition received from Diamond Waves Law on behalf of Mr. Ibu’s wife, Stella Maris Okafor, dated September 6, 2023. The petition alleged that Mr. Ibu’s sons, Daniel and Valentine Okafor, along with Jasmine Okekeagwu, conspired to defraud Mr. Ibu.
According to Aminat, investigation showed that Mr. Ibu had initiated a public fundraising initiative to cover medical bills, which attracted donations from fans, members of the entertainment industry, and the general public. Initially, Mrs. Stella Maris Chinyere Okafor managed the funds for medical bills and family support. However, Onyeabuchi Daniel Okafor and Jasmine Chioma Okekeagwu allegedly manipulated Mrs. Stella Maris Okafor, gaining access to Mr. Ibu’s phone and hacking into his banking details.
The duo took control of Mr. Ibu’s mobile banking applications and initiated fraudulent transfers from the public fundraising account to Daniel Okafor’s personal bank account, resulting in a total of N55 million being criminally transferred before their arrest. The stolen N50 million was successfully recovered, and a forensic analysis traced the funds to Onyeabuchi Okafor’s account.
It was also revealed that the two suspects, Jasmine Okekeagwu and Onyeabuchi Okafor, had planned to escape to the United Kingdom with their ill-gotten gains, having applied for a UK Visa in furtherance of this plan. Text messages via WhatsApp between Jasmine Chioma and Daniel Okafor detailing their criminal plans were uncovered during the investigation.
Onyeabuchi Okafor and Jasmine Okekeagwu have been charged to the Chief Magistrates Court 1, Yaba, with the case adjourned to March 11, 2024. Both were granted bail in the sum of N15 million with two sureties in like sum. The case file has been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Read the original article on Daily Post
