Nigerian couple flee London after being fingered in £10M fraud

By The Nigerian Voice

Oyebode, who worked for the CSSC within two years, admitted that she supplied lists of members and their details in return for payment.

A Nigerian couple, Stephen Odeyemi and his wife, Oluwatumininu Banjo have fled the United Kingdom after they were fingered in a £10million fraud.

In a report by DailyMail, the Nigerian couple perpetuated the fraudulent act in conjunction with other family members and friend.

The ring, it was reported, is made up of a 30-year-old Civil Service Sports Council events manager, Adedamola Oyebisi, her brothers-in-law, 34-year-old Oluwatobi Emmanuel Odeyemi, 39-year-old Oluwagbenga Stephen Odeyemi and 38-year-old friend, Kayode Sanni.

The prosecutor, Allison Hunter revealed that investigators began by identifying one of the multiple false tax credit claimants as Chantelle Gumbs, who has admitted her part in the scam.

The source of the stolen identity was traced to the CSSC in Chadwick Street, Westminster, where six staff had password protected access to members’ details.

Meanwhile, Oyebode, who worked for the CSSC between August 2008 and August 2010, admitted that she supplied lists of members and their details in return for payment.

She also revealed that she made calls to the tax credit helpline to obtain application packs.

ALSO READ: 2 Nigerians arrested for defrauding British woman of £1.6m

The fraudsters, Hunters revealed, used the details to create false identities, buy online insurance and open false bank accounts to receive the cash.

The proceeds were then transferred into either their own accounts or through Western Union facilities set up by Sanni and Emmanuel Odeyemi.

The accused, reports further revealed, were said to have stolen personal details from the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC), to make fraudulent claims over a four-year period.

Member lists were ‘stolen to order’ from CSSC and used to place orders for tax credit starter packs.

The gang, which reportedly made about £2,500,000, would have got away with £10,260,525 if staff at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs had not discovered the high rate of claims being made by civil servants.

According to the report, while Emannuel Odeyemi, Adedamola Oyebisi and Kayode Sanni are currently facing trial in the UK, Oluwatumininu Banjo, Stephen Odeyemi are believed to be on the run in Nigeria.

However, Sanni has reportedly denied being guilty of the charges saying ‘my conscience is clear’ as Emmanuel and Adedamola have confessed their crimes while awaiting judgement on July 6, 2017.