Two Suspected Fraudsters Arrested in Lagos for Forging Certificates and Online Scams

Two suspected international fraudsters, Elvis Osakpolo Edokpain, 23, and Kelly Osas Endgieen, 24, have been arrested by police at the Zone 2 Command in Onikan, Lagos, for allegedly forging university certificates and engaging in online scams.

According to police sources, the suspects were apprehended after the Anti-Corruption Unit received credible intelligence about a group involved in the forgery of foreign certificates. Acting on the directive of Assistant Inspector General of Police Adegoke Fayoude, detectives tracked the suspects to a five-star hotel in Lekki, apprehending them at a nearby bus stop as they attempted to flee.

A search of their belongings uncovered a forged certificate from Blue Crest College, Ghana, a student ID from Academic City College, and other fake academic documents, including transcripts and letters of recommendation. During interrogation, the suspects admitted to obtaining the documents through a Nigerian woman living in Ghana, revealing they paid 15,000 Ghana cedis (approximately N1.5 million) for the certificate and 5,000 Ghana cedis (about 500,000 Naira) for a resident permit.

The suspects also confessed to their involvement in online scams, particularly romance scams and fraudulent financial transactions conducted via social media platforms, including Instagram. They impersonated an American soldier named Captain Donald Rowe, claiming he was on a peacekeeping mission in Syria and offering victims the chance to purchase goods located there. Once victims paid, the funds were funneled through blockchain wallets and foreign bank accounts, eventually deposited into their Nigerian accounts.

Their fraudulent operations reportedly targeted victims in countries such as Japan, Denmark, and China, with accomplices based in the UK, South Africa, and other nations