The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria has arrested two senior officials from the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre in Lagos for their alleged involvement in aiding a convicted internet fraudster, Olusegun Aroke, carry out a $1 million scam while incarcerated.
Deputy Controllers of the facility, Emmanuel Oluwaniyi and Hemeson Edwin, are under investigation for allegedly facilitating Aroke’s fraudulent activities by providing a fabricated medical report that allowed him to leave the prison. Despite serving a 24-year sentence for internet fraud, Aroke used the medical excuse to orchestrate the scam from outside the correctional center.
Reports indicate that the crime was carried out with the assistance of prison officials who enabled Aroke to access the internet and mobile phones inside the facility. This was confirmed in a preliminary EFCC investigation, which found that Aroke had clandestine access to the outside world.
EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren confirmed the arrest of Oluwaniyi and Edwin, the latter being responsible for the prison’s clinic. The duo were apprehended on Monday, and initial interrogations revealed their involvement in facilitating the scam. The suspects have provided valuable information regarding their role in the crime.
The arrest of the prison officials serves as a significant reminder of the vulnerabilities within correctional institutions and the potential for internal complicity in fraudulent activities.
