Nigerian Police
By Akeem Atoyebi
Two suspected international fraudsters who specialise in forging certificates of different international and African universities have been arrested by the police at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos.
The suspects, Elvis Osakpolo Edokpain, 23, and Kelly Osas Endgieen, 24, also specialise in defrauding their unsuspecting victims on the internet and have succeeded in acquiring exotic cars and erecting mansions in different parts of the country with the proceeds of their loot.
Police sources at Zone 2 said table turned against the suspects after detectives at the Anti-Corruption Unit of the zone received credible information from outside Nigerians concerning a group of boys that specialises in forging foreign certificates.
It was learned that on getting the information, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the zone, Adegoke Fayoude, detailed anti-corruption unit to investigate it. He reportedly gave marching orders that they must be rounded up without delay.
Based on his directives, according to police sources, detectives stormed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and as soon as the suspects arrived, they trailed them to a five-star hotel at Osapa-London in Lekki and later accosted them at the bus stop while they were about escaping from the hotel.
It was gathered that on searching their luggage, one certificate of Blue Crest College, Ghana, belonging to Elvis Osakpolo Edokpiain, was recovered and a student identity card of Academic City College was also recovered from Kenny Osas.
Further search revealed a transcript of an academic record from Blue Crest University belonging to Elvis Osapolo. Going through the search again, detectives discovered a letter of English proficiency from the said college and a letter of recommendation from the same Blue Crest College.
Reports said upon interrogation, the suspects made useful statements to the police and confessed that they never got any admission into the school but procured the degree certificate through the help of a female Nigerian resident in Ghana.
The suspects further stated that the major aim of doing that is to enable them get Ghana resident permit, which they got and the resident permit. and the resident permits also show the suspects as students of Academic City University. But none of them has ever been admitted in the school.
Police sources further disclosed that the suspects confessed that they were made to pay 15,000 Ghana cedis for the certificate and 5,000 Ghana cedis which is equivalent to N1.5 million and 5,000 Ghana cedis for the resident permit which is equivalent to 500,000 dollars
They reportedly paid a total of 26,000 Ghana cedis to procure the documents. On further interrogation, they said that they are doing it to evade arrest in Ghana since they don’t have any means of livelihood.
According to the suspects in their confessional statements, whenever police intercept us, we will show the passport that we are students because we don’t have any means of livelihood in Ghana. On further interrogation, they confessed that they do fraudulent activities, such as online romance scam and the provision of foreign bank accounts for fraudulent transactions on internet through what they called ‘ Facebook bombing’.
The suspects said; “we meet people online and present ourselves as an American soldier by name Captain Donald Rowe, whom we are impersonating on Instagram. He is a captain of the United States of America and currently on peacekeeping mission in Syria. While we are engaging our victims, we will tell them that there are goods in Syria that if they are interested to buy, they should pay money and we will send the goods to you. We will show them pictures of good materials in Syria.
The suspects also said,” After they make the payment, we use our block chain wallets to collect the mo
