Suspected members of an international fraud syndicate arrested by the Ogun State Police Command have alleged that their activities were coordinated by a Malaysian national who operated entirely through online platforms.
The suspects, apprehended in the Agbado area of Ifo Local Government Area, claimed they received instructions from the foreign national without ever meeting him in person.
The police had earlier disclosed that the suspects were linked to a controversial networking scheme known as Ignite, which allegedly targeted foreign nationals with promises of financial success and lucrative business opportunities.
According to the police, the syndicate recruited individuals from different African countries, convincing them to pay for products that were never delivered while encouraging them to bring more participants into the scheme.
The command also accused members of the group of masterminding a fake kidnap plot involving a Mauritanian national, identified as Cheikh Mhedy, in an attempt to obtain millions of CFA francs from his family.
One of the suspects, 34-year-old Zadariah Sawadogo from Burkina Faso, said he arrived in Nigeria in 2023 after being introduced to the networking business by a friend.
Sawadogo alleged that all directives came from a Malaysian-based operator who communicated exclusively through the internet.
“Our boss is a Malaysian national. None of us met him physically. Every instruction came online,” he reportedly told investigators.
He explained that participants were required to recruit new members and purchase products supposedly supplied by the Malaysian-based operator in exchange for financial rewards.
According to him, despite investing substantial funds into the scheme, the promised products never arrived.
Sawadogo said he convinced his father to sell a parcel of land in Côte d’Ivoire and send him the proceeds for investment in the business.
“My father sold the land and sent me the money. I used part of it to rent the apartment where we were staying and invested the balance in the products. Up till the time of our arrest, nothing had been delivered,” he said.
He added that the only benefit he received from the scheme was a referral bonus of about $90.
Another suspect, Sole Nata, was identified by investigators as the woman who allegedly persuaded Mhedy to travel from Mauritania to Nigeria after they developed a relationship online.
Nata admitted introducing him to the networking programme but claimed he arrived in Nigeria without sufficient funds to purchase the products, prompting her to make payment on his behalf.
She, however, denied involvement in the alleged kidnap plot, insisting that Mhedy conceived the plan himself to obtain money from his father.
According to her, he falsely claimed to have been abducted and demanded a ransom from his family.
Another suspect, Kuneji Ezekiel, a Togolese national and artist, also described himself as a victim of the operation.
Ezekiel said he joined the network after being assured of financial success but never received any of the products he paid for.
“I invested 400,000 CFA francs but got nothing in return before the police arrested us,” he reportedly stated.
He added that dozens of participants were accommodated in the same apartment, while only a few leaders maintained direct communication with the alleged Malaysian coordinator.
Reacting to the development, the Ogun State Police Command warned members of the public to be wary of fraudulent investment and networking schemes disguised as legitimate business opportunities.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, said preliminary investigations indicated that some of those arrested may have been victims who were lured into the operation rather than active organisers.
She added that such individuals had been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further profiling and necessary administrative action.
The police reiterated their commitment to combating fraud and protecting residents from criminal syndicates operating under the guise of investment and networking businesses.