Foreign Nationals Claim Online-Based Operator Directed Activities from Malaysia
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested suspected members of a transnational fraud syndicate operating in the Agbado area of Ifo Local Government Area, with several of the suspects alleging that their activities were coordinated by a Malaysian national they had never met physically.
According to the suspects, all instructions came from an individual based in Malaysia who communicated exclusively through online platforms.
Police spokesperson, CSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the suspects were linked to a networking scheme known as Ignite, through which foreign nationals were allegedly lured into Nigeria with promises of wealth, financial freedom and profitable business opportunities.
Investigations revealed that the group allegedly recruited individuals from various African countries and persuaded them to pay for products that never arrived. Members were also encouraged to bring more participants into the network in exchange for promised rewards and commissions.
The police further alleged that members of the syndicate were involved in a fake kidnapping scheme targeting the family of a Mauritanian national, identified as Cheikh Mhedy. The suspects allegedly sought to obtain 6.5 million CFA Franc from the victim’s relatives under the pretence of a ransom payment.
One of the suspects, 34-year-old Zadariah Sawadogo from Burkina Faso, told investigators that he arrived in Nigeria in 2023 in search of better opportunities before being introduced to the Ignite scheme by a friend.
Sawadogo claimed that members of the network took directives from a Malaysian-based operator whom none of them had met in person.
He said he invested heavily in the business after being promised substantial returns but never received the products he paid for.
According to him, his father sold a parcel of land in Côte d’Ivoire for 1.6 million CFA Franc
The suspect added that he received only 90 dollars as a referral bonus despite his financial commitment to the scheme.
Another suspect, 25-year-old Sole Nata, admitted introducing Mhedy to the network after the pair developed a relationship online.
She alleged that Mhedy travelled to Nigeria to participate in the business but arrived without enough funds to purchase the required products, prompting her to pay N500,000 on his behalf.
Nata, however, claimed that Mhedy later devised a false kidnapping story to obtain money from his father, insisting that the ransom demand would convince his family to send funds.
Also speaking, a Togolese artist identified as Kuneji Ezekiel described himself as a victim of the operation. He said he paid 400,000 CFA Franc for products after being persuaded that the scheme would make him wealthy.
Ezekiel claimed that no products were delivered before the police operation that led to the arrests.
He further disclosed that about 50 people lived in the apartment where the suspects were arrested, adding that only a few leaders had direct contact with the alleged Malaysian coordinator.
Babaseyi warned members of the public to exercise caution when approached with investment and networking opportunities that promise unrealistic financial rewards.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Ogun State Police Command to combating fraud and protecting residents from criminal activities disguised as legitimate business ventures.
The police spokesperson added that preliminary investigations indicate some of those arrested may themselves be victims of the scheme. Such individuals have been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for profiling and further administrative procedures.
