The Biggest Fraudsters In Nigeria's History (pictures )

In the past, Nigeria was teeming with a very curious breed of criminals. They were the heads of a ruined system, ruthless mafia lords of the sleazy world of advance fee fraud.


we're referring to intercontinental fraudsters, GPRS criminals so advanced that they actually had access to the Presidency and were so sophisticated they bankrupted an entire national bank to the tune of over $200 million.

They were the flashiest socialites in town, wore the most sparkling of jewelry, dated the classiest people in the society, hired the best musicians and at their lavish parties,

The amount of wealth thse people have been able to gather would make the average new generation yahoo boy look tiny.

here is the list we've compiled on the top 5 biggest nigerian fraudsters of all time.

1. Ade Bendel.

Ade bendel is a famous Convicted 419 Kingpin.as one of Nigeria's most notorious fraudsters in the 90's and early 2000's, He defrauded Army Generals, (home and abroad), business men, Government MDAs and all sorts.


Ade Bendel defrauded a certain General Abba Kyari for 500m way back. He was eventually nabbed and convicted in 2003 when Obasanjo clamped down on fraudsters after the US complained about losing over $10bn to these fraudsters with Nigeria as a transit country.
Ade Bendel duped locally and internationally. Back at home, one of those that he scammed was Abba Kyari, a retired brigadier general of the Nigerian Army and the former governor of the old North-Central State in 1999.


Ade Bendel duped this general of N500 million naira. Ade Bendel approached the army genral and told him of a wonderful business opportunity that would soon spin billions of profits only if he would invest. Kyari too fell for the offer and dropped half a billion naira and he crossed his legs in his house.

Ade Bendel was a master in the game. among some of his international hits is the scam of a retired army general in the Egyptian Armed Forces, Abdul Azim Attia, of over $605,000 (about N97 million) in 2003.

The general said that he met Ade Bendel in Saudi Arabia and he took him as a good Muslim brother that he could do business with. Ade Bendel (who reportedly posed as Dr. Ibrahim Ahmed) Sold the idea of an agricultural venture to the retired general who was enticed by promises of profits of half a billion dollars, once he invested in the deal.

The general hurriedly paid $300,000 to his ‘business partners’ and he was shocked with the speed with which the money vanished.

But they were not done sucking him yet, they told him that in order for the $500 million to be transferred to his account, he had to pay another $200,000 for the transfer to be facilitated, which he paid. By the time the general would realize the game, Ade Bendel had already duped him of close to N100 million. The Egyptian general could not swallow it anymore and fired a petition which interestingly led to case that eventually had Ade Bendel jailed.

The precise reason why he was arrested at that time was not known but it was gathered that it was due to the relentless petitions fired to the Presidency by foreigners, particularly American businessmen who got more than a copious dose of Ade Bendel’s bitter pill.

As at 2000, Americans had lost about $10 billion to Nigerian con artists like Ade Bendel and the US government was not taking the issue lightly with Aso Rock.

In December 2013, his name was also mentioned in the case of how a former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major-General Ishaya Bamaiyi, was defrauded to the tune of $8.395 million.

The most interesting part of the case was that it was alleged that ade Bendel and others defrauded Bamaiyi of the said sum while they were all at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, and the money in question was said to have been used to bribe one of the judges handling the case in court that time.



2. Emmanuel Nwude

Emmanuel Nwude is a former Director of Union Bank of Nigeria.

he apparently defrauded a Brazilian bank manager, Nelson Sakaguchi of $242 million between 1995 and 1998.

Emmanuel nwude who claimed to be Paul Ogwuma, the central bank of nigeria's governor, and sent a fax addressed to Sakaguchi.

he convinced Sakaguchi to invest in a new airport in the nation's capital, Abuja, in exchange for a $10 million commission.

The fraud was uncovered in the brazilian bank after a December 1997 joint board meeting, in which an official inquired about why a large sum of money, two-fifths of the bank's total value and half of their capital, was sitting in the Cayman Islands unmonitored.

his entire assets were confiscated and returned to the victim and a $10 million fine was imposed on him To be paid to the Nigerian federal government.
after serving five years in prison, he was released in 2006.


3.Maurice ibekwe

Maurice was implicated in the $242m Banco Noroeste scam (one of the biggest in the world)

Maurice ibekwe HE is a former member of the Federal House of Representatives. He was actually the Chairman of House of Reps Committee on Police affairs.

The late Maurice Ibekwe and his accomplice, Augunous Okoro sacammed a German individual, Klaus Munch and his company, Firm System Organisation of the sum of $30 million in 1992 with forged documents

He was arrested afterwards. and While on trial, He died in EFCC detention.

4. Rafiu Elele.

Before his arrest, Rafiu Elele had been on Interpol’s most wanted list for so many years. His eventual extradition was fallout of eight years of frantic searching, investigation and surveillance by Interpol

Known for his notoriety as a drug baron and unrepentant follower of popular Fuji star, Wasiu Ayinde
He was arrested by the Interpol in Lagos and extradited to the US.

5. Demola Oyefeso a.k.a Genesis.

Famous music promoter Demola Oyefeso aka genesis was convicted of tax fraud in the US.

Every Kwam 1 listener know this one by heart. He got the most praise as he was Kwam 1's first top promoter then.
On many occasions, he singlehandedly took music stars like Adewale Ayuba, Kola Ogunkoya, Kollington Ayinla, King Sunny Ade, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, Abass Akande Obesere to America for concerts when many of these musicians less dreamt of.

Most of these artistes are known to regularly sing his praise in their albums in appreciation of his contribution to their career.

Like a colossus, he ruled the entertainment industry for decades, but all of a sudden, things took a drastic turn when he got indicted for fraud.

he has since served his time and has bounced back to normal living.