The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate for Kogi House of Assembly, Yusuf Atumeyi, and two others linked to N1.4 billion cybercrime allegedly removed from a commercial bank in the country.
Others arrested alongside the lawmakers were an alleged serial fraudster, Joshua Dominic, and a former staff of the bank, Abdumalik Salau, and N326 million and $610,500 cash were recovered from them after their arrest in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and Lagos State.
Aside from the huge funds found in their possession, two luxury Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) were also recovered from the two suspects arrested in Abuja.
Atumeyi, who was seeking to represent Ankpa 11 constituency in the Kogi house of assembly, was arrested alongside Dominic by the anti-graft agency officials during a sting operation at Macedonia Street, Queens Estate, Karsana, Gwarinpa, Abuja.
Salau, who allegedly supplied the inside information that facilitated the attack on the bank by the syndicate, was arrested on Tuesday at Radisson Blu hotel in Lagos where he had been hiding after getting a hint that EFCC officials were on his trail.
Following his arrest, a search was conducted on his home in Morgan Estate, Ojodu where a total of $470,000 USD was recovered from him by the EFCC officials.
The arrest of the suspects followed months of investigation into the hacking of one of the commercial banks by a syndicate of fraudsters who pulled off a heist of N1.4billion.
After removing the huge funds from the bank, the EFCC through an official statement released on its official social media handles, narrated that the syndicate allegedly moved N887million into the account of Fav Oil and Gas firm from where the monies were paid to several Bureau de Change operators and some auto dealers for exchange into United States Dollars and purchase of high-end cars.
According to EFCC, Dominic, who has severally been arrested for fraud, allegedly helped Atumeyi perfect the hacking plan through Abdumalik.
Dominic, a self-styled investment expert and managing director of Brisk Capital firm, was arrested in May 2021 by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police over an alleged N2billion investment scam. He allegedly defrauded over 500 persons in a phony investment scheme.
Assuring Nigerians that the suspects would be arraigned before the court as soon as the investigation is concluded, the commission expressed concern about the rising spate of cyber-attacks on banks and the reluctance of the institutions to report such breaches to law enforcement.
According to EFCC, while warning that such reticence would only embolden the criminals, the EFCC appeals to financial institutions to collaborate with it to secure the financial sector from threats of cyber-attacks.