Breaking: Candidate for the Kogi Assembly detained with N326m and $610,500 cash

Ismaila Atumeyi, a New Nigeria Peoples Party candidate for the Kogi State House of Assembly, was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with N326 million and $140,500 in cash.

In a sting operation on Sunday, October 30, 2022, at Macedonia Street, Queens Estate, Karsana, Gwarinpa, Abuja, Joshua Dominic, an alleged serial fraudster, and Atumeyi, who is running to represent Ankpa 11 Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, were both apprehended.

Abdumalik Femi, a former bank employee who is accused of providing the insider information that enabled the group to assault the bank, was also detained in connection with the fraud.

“After his arrest, his residence in Morgan Estate, Ojodu was searched, and $470,000 USD was found there in total.

“The suspects’ arrest came after months of inquiry into the hacking of one of the commercial banks by a group of thieves who pulled off a crime of N1.4 billion,” he said.

The syndicate is said to have transferred N887 million into the Fav Oil and Gas Limited account, from which the funds were disbursed to a number of Bureau de Change operators and certain auto dealers for conversion to US dollars and the purchase of high-end vehicles.