EFCC arrested an alleged accomplice of suspected cyber crime kingpin, Mompha, as he took cover in the roof of his luxury apartment.
The Lebanese admitted that the’fetish items’present in his room are his prayer objects. [The Nation]
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested Hamza Koudeih, a Lebanese, alongside two other suspected accomplices of social networking celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha popularly called Mompha.
Recall that the EFCC had on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, arrested Mompha, for alleged internet fraud and money laundering. He was apprehended he was set to board a flight from Abuja to Dubai.
Koudeih was arrested inside his N1.8 billion luxury apartment in the 33-storey Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower, in the upmarket Victoria Island part of Lagos.
He was reportedly caught hiding in the ceiling of one of his rooms. Based on The Nation, Koudeih and others are suspected to function as ringleaders of a network of cyber criminals who laundered N33 billion through three firms.
Koudeih’s arrest by the anti-graft agency, followed intelligence uncovered after Mompha was arrested.
It was gathered that when the EFCC operatives arrived his luxurious suites, Koudeih and his wife refused to open the door.
The couple also didn’t react to appeals from the building’s chief security officer.
The EFCC operatives, who had been monitoring the premises and had it surrounded, were convinced that the Lebanese was inside. His cars were parked in the garage downstairs.
After three hours of battling with the doorway to be able to access Koudeih’s apartment, the EFCC officials successfully smashed open the doorway using breaching tools.
Koudeih was subsequently found hiding in the ceiling of his bedroom, the report says.
On further search of his bedroom, the EFCC operatives discovered a fire-proof safe containing different charms and talismans in calabashes.
The Lebanese, based on the anti-graft agency, admitted that those items present in his room are his prayer objects.
Two luxury cars were also recovered from him. Nigeria’s anti-graft agency has been working together with international police agencies to arrest a slew of suspected cyber fraudsters in recent times.