Ibadan Club Owner arrested for defrauding Americans of N32 million Covid-19 funds

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Command on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 arraigned the owner of Ibadan-based Club, De Rock Club, Adepoju Olawale Sunday alias SSG before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State on two separate charges for his alleged involvement in cybercrime and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N31, 821, 000.

The first charge, containing eight counts, bordering on identity theft, obtaining COVID –19 and unemployment benefits from the United States of America Government, while the other 19- count charge is premised on transfer of proceeds of crime to one Owoade Emmanuel David.

Investigations revealed that Adepoju, 36, who claimed to be a graduate of Industrial Chemistry of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun state had, during the COVID – 19 pandemic swindled American government and unsuspecting American citizens thousands of dollars. He allegedly stole identities of the American citizens eligible for the tax refund programme across the U.S and filed the stolen information to claim the benefits.

Investigations also showed that Adepoju through the US Small Business Administration (SBA), a programme established in New York City during Covid-19 to help Americans build resilient businesses, stole personal identifying information of American citizens which he deployed in filing false benefits claims. The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charges were read to him.