The police have arrested two suspected international fraudsters who specialized in forging certificates from universities in Ghana and other countries. Elvis Osakpolo Edokpain, 23, and Kelly Osas Endgieen, 24, were apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Nigeria Police at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, after a coordinated operation.
The suspects are accused of using forged academic certificates to defraud unsuspecting victims, including students, through online scams. They had been operating under the guise of students from prestigious universities, like Blue Crest College in Ghana, to evade legal issues in their home country and continue their fraudulent activities.
The Fraud Scheme Unveiled
The breakthrough in the case came after police received credible intelligence from overseas sources about a group of fraudsters involved in forging international university certificates. A source inside the Anti-Corruption Unit revealed that the tip-off included information about the activities of these criminals, who had been using fraudulent documents to impersonate students.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Adegoke Fayoude, gave strict orders to his team to track and arrest the perpetrators without delay. Acting on these instructions, detectives quickly located the suspects after they arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. They followed the suspects to a luxury hotel in Lekki, where they were arrested while attempting to leave the premises.
Upon searching their belongings, police discovered a variety of forged documents. These included a certificate from Blue Crest College in Ghana and a student ID card from Academic City College, both in the name of the suspects. Further investigation revealed transcripts and letters of recommendation that had been fabricated to support their fraudulent claims.
The Fraudsters’ Confession
During interrogation, the suspects confessed to obtaining their certificates and Ghanaian resident permits through a female Nigerian accomplice residing in Ghana. They admitted they had never been admitted to the universities but had paid significant sums of money to obtain the fake documents.
Elvis Edokpain explained, “We paid 15,000 Ghana cedis for the degree certificates, and another 5,000 cedis for a resident permit. We wanted to avoid arrest in Ghana, so we used these documents to pretend to be students.”
The suspects admitted that the forged certificates helped them to travel and set up fraudulent operations, including romance scams. They explained how they targeted victims online, often impersonating an American soldier named “Captain Donald Rowe,” claiming to be stationed in Syria.
“We met people on social media platforms, especially Instagram, and convinced them to buy goods in Syria. Once the victims sent money, we would use blockchain wallets and foreign bank accounts to collect the funds, which we then transferred to Nigerian accounts,” said Kelly Osas Endgieen.
Their operations spanned across multiple countries, including Japan, China, and Denmark, and involved working with partners in the UK, South Africa, and other nations.
A Bold Attempt at Bribery
The case took an unexpected turn when, during interrogation, the two suspects attempted to bribe the police. They offered a sum of N66 million in exchange for their release.
Police sources confirmed that the Assistant Inspector General, Adegoke Fayoude, had been alerted about the bribe attempt. Fayoude had recently made headlines for rejecting an even larger bribe offer of N174 million from another group of fraudsters.
In this case, however, the detectives decided to play along and allow the suspects to proceed with the bribe. The N66 million was subsequently seized and kept as evidence.
The police have since begun the process of informing the Ghanaian embassy about the arrest, with plans to involve Interpol to track down the fraudsters’ international network. Police believe that this group has partners who are operating in several countries, particularly in West Africa.
A Cry for Change
In their final statements, the suspects expressed regret over their criminal activities and claimed that poverty was the driving force behind their involvement in fraud.
“We both attended secondary schools in Benin City, but we were looking for an easy way to make money,” Elvis Osakpolo said. “It wasn’t our plan to end up in this situation, but we were desperate.”
They went on to advise other young Nigerians to avoid the temptation of fraudulent schemes, urging them to work hard and build honest careers.
“Don’t take shortcuts. Work hard and be patient. Fraud may seem easy, but it will only lead to regret,” Kelly Osas Endgieen added.
