EFCC has arrested a Lebanese, Hamza Koudeih, alleged to be a collaborator of Ismaila Mustapha aka Mompha, who was recently arrested by the commission.
Head of the EFCC’s Lagos zonal office, Mr. Mohammed Rabo, said Koudeih was arrested alongside two others whose nationalities are yet to be established following their alleged involvement in internet fraud and money laundering.
“Hamza Koudeih was arrested over the weekend at the Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower, Victoria Island, Lagos, where he occupied one of the luxury suites. It cost about $5 million annually as rent to maintain the luxury suit.
EFCC operatives had a fierce battle arresting him because his apartment was fortified with triple reinforced fire proof door and close circuit television cameras,” said Rabo.
According to Rabo, intelligence reports received from local and international law enforcement agencies had revealed that Hamza and Mompha, alongside their collaborators are high valued targets in Organised Cyber Syndicate Network (OCSN).
“Investigations have also revealed that Mompha uses a firm known as Ismalob Global Investments Ltd to perpetrate about N14 billion in money laundering, while Hamza also operates two firms namely, THK Services Ltd and CHK properties Ltd to launder about N19billion,”he said.
Koudeih was arrested at the weekend after a three-hour stand-off at his N1.8 billion luxury apartment in the 33-storey Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Mompha, Koudeih and the others are suspected to be kingpins of a network of cyber criminals who laundered N33 billion through three firms.
His arrest by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), followed intelligence unearthed after Mompha’s arrest last Tuesday.
When the anti-graft agency’s operatives arrived at his luxury suite, Koudeih and his wife refused to open the door.
The couple also did not respond to appeals from the building’s chief security officer.
But the operatives, who had been monitoring the premises and had it surrounded, knew the Lebanese was inside. His cars were parked in the garage downstairs.
The apartment was fortified with triple reinforced fire-proof door and closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and they could not gain entrance.
It was gathered that the EFCC investigators battled for three hours to break down the door using breaching tools.
When they gained access, they met his wife who claimed Koudeih had escaped through the window.
But Koudeih’s apartment is on one of the topmost floors of Eko Atlantic Pearl Tower, said to be the tallest apartment building in Nigeria.
“Our officials knew that he was still inside and they were even hoping to persuade him not to jump out through the window because it would be suicide,”
EFCC Lagos Zonal Head, Mr. Mohammed Rabo, who confirmed the arrest said.
But they did not find Koudeih in any of the rooms until they observed that a part of the ceiling in his bedroom had been artificially sealed.
They pushed it open and found Koudeih hiding in the ceiling.
Further search of his bedroom revealed a fire-proof safe containing different charms and talismans in calabashes.
According to the EFCC, the Lebanese admitted they were his “prayer objects”.
Two luxury cars were also recovered from him.
He said at the point of arrest of Koudeih, EFCC operatives discovered a fire proof safe stocked with different charms and talisman. Two Luxury cars were also recovered from him.
Meanwhile, ongoing investigation into Mompha’s alleged criminal activities have revealed that he operated 51 bank accounts in Nigeria as conduit for his money laundering activities while acquiring several assets in Dubai.
Also, more facts have emerged that the five wristwatches recovered from Mompha are worth over N60 million, not N20m. His IG account has now been deactivated.
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