A Malaysia-based Nigerian man identified as Ogba Peter Amawhe, posed
as an American in an oil-related business in Malaysia and duped a
52-year-old widow of P30 millions.
The two continued their online liaison until the relationship became
romantic. Nelson soon convinced Loida, based on Guimaras Island, to
partner in an expansion venture in the Philippines.
The venture would require capitalization amounting to P500 million which he promised to deposit in Loida’s bank accounts.
Loida gave him details of her six bank accounts including that of her
automated teller machine cards which had total deposits reaching about
P10 million, mostly joint earnings with her deceased British husband.
When Loida followed up the transfer of funds, Nelson told her to send
P260,000 to Malaysia to cover processing and other expenses.
After two months and upon Loida’s prodding, Nelson told her he was
having difficulties transferring the funds and had hired an agency to
facilitate the transaction. But he again asked Loida to send a total of
P7 million to defray the expenses.
This was again repeated several times and in January, until Loida discovered that her six bank accounts were almost empty.
Since they met in March last year, Loida sent about P20 million through
money transfer companies. These didn’t include the P10 million that was
withdrawn from her account.
She sold or pawned two vehicles, a resort, boarding houses in Mindanao
and Manila and other properties so she could send money to Malaysia.
Realizing that she was duped, she sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Western Visayas.
The NBI agents subsequently set three entrapment operations at a
shopping mall here last week for five persons allegedly sent by Nelson
to receive another P8 million from Loida.
The NBI first arrested Filipino Rosalyn Ibarra on Feb. 21 and then
Malaysian nationals Sitti Faridah Binti Abdul Hamid and Ishamah Binti
Sheck Dawood, and Nigerian national Francis Onyebuchi Amadi in the
second operation on Feb. 23. Amadi is the common-law husband of Ibarra.
Also on Feb. 23, NBI agents arrested Nigerian national Chukwudi Ugwu.
They have been detained at the NBI regional office as complaint of
syndicated estafa in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act has been
filed against them at the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office.
Those arrested could be part of an international syndicate engaged in
fraud in which they met potential victims online and enticed them to
invest in fictitious businesses, said NBI agent John Katipunan.
The NBI also believes that Nelson, who looked Caucasian in his online
photo, is actually Malaysia-based Nigerian national Ogba Peter Amawhe.
Nelson (Amawhe) sent the five persons to personally collect the P8
million from Loida after money transfer companies refused to allow her
to send more money because of the significant amount she had already
sent.
"Their activities were compartmentalized. They were unaware that there were other persons sent to meet with Loida. That’s why they did not know that we already arrested them," he said.
Amadi and Ugwu denied the allegations.
"I came here to be with my wife. I did not know why she came here," Amadi told the INQUIRER at the NBI detention cell.
Ugwu said he was doing a favor to a fellow Nigerian who told him to get the money from Loida.
"I did not know that there was anything illegal with what I would be doing. Please help us," he said.Photos of the arrested suspects below...
