03 Nov 2008 |
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Behold, The Nigerian Osama Bin Laden!
The global economic meltdown accentuated by the American fiscal crisis has exposed in full measure the monster of world capitalism and its concomitant greed, avarice and mindless pursuit of selfish wealth acquisition to the detriment of a greater majority. In a world where poverty, disease and unemployment are still daily staples of the greater number of the human population mostly found in developing nations the average man on the street of a third world enclave who have not seen a dollar bill or heard about Euro will not understand the import of the economic depression afflicting the West principally with knock-on effect on the rest of us.
My major concern here happens to be the billions of dollars of our foreign reserve stashed away officially in foreign banks. While President Yar'Adua and CBN Governor Soludo have assured and re-assured us of safety of the external reserves it is important we worry for our leaders have misled us on many occasions. In the absence of the big bail-out plans by the Bush administration capitalism would have been bidding its time for an imminent thunderous collapse. And when that spectacularly occurs with a whimper the great anti-American socialism forces around the world (including Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez) would have had the last laugh.
The capitalist way of life in America (which has arrogance, abundance, bravado and sophistication tied to it) makes some folks green with envy thus firing in them the hate-induced urge to destroy the system. And others with passion and ingenuity to exploit any exploitable by smartly beating the system in order to belong.
Leading the pack of the nay-sayers is the bearded one at large Osama Bin Laden who attempted with enormous breath-taking means to destroy the American corporate temple in 2001. The Saudi-born outcast swore to change the world order using terrorism as chief weapon and America was targeted as the primary propagator of capitalism and freedom. The Al Quada terror network leader has since spread his tentacles delivering horrendous messages in many parts of the world including Africa while still breathing and in a hide-out somewhere in a no man's land around the Pakistani border with Afghanistan.
On the other hand a young Nigerian has added another dimension to the whole concept of either moving against the system decisively using violence or creating an opportunity out of the system by exploiting the IT loopholes to deliver a message of survival. Between Bin Laden and Tobechi Enyinna Onwughara there is a world of difference. While the former is known globally as the father of terrorism and public enemy number one in the US, the latter is just a relatively-unknown 29-year old Nigerian upstart who is using his brain to make an audacious statement in the cyber space.
According to recent reports President George W. Bush has ordered the FBI and other security agents in the States to track down and apprehend "by every means and at all cost" Onwughara following a shocking discovery that Tobechi within a 3-year period had stolen over US$44 million from American citizens and financial institutions! On the FBI official website 'the most wanted men' list the profile of the Nigerian is second only to that of Osama Bin Laden.
According to the FBI, Onwughara and some of his Nigerian partners have used online internet databases to steal victims' identities to the tune of $44 million. FBI sources declared that Onwughara hacked into his victims' personal information through a database, in a bid to access their credit accounts. Once inside, he would wire-transfer the money to accounts mainly located overseas, but some inside the US. The suspect has been accused of causing tens of millions of dollars in losses to banks and home-owners.
Described by the FBI agents as 'a very smart and crafty fraudster' who had painstakingly perfected the scam, after lots of research, the consummate international conman spends his money on wine, women and songs. He also gambles at high-brow casinos, flashes money at social events, drives luxury cars and hangs out at strip clubs. Investigators believe that Onwughara first entered the US in 1999 or 2000 on a student visa. A statement signed by FBI Director, Robert S. Mueller, reads in part: “Tobechi Enyinna Onwughara, a convicted felon, is wanted for his alleged involvement in an elaborate scheme that defrauded the financial industry out of tens of millions of dollars.
"Onwughara is a key member of a group of Nigerians, which allegedly has been conducting fraudulent banking activities from Florida and Texas, since 2005. It is alleged that the group has been using on-line Internet databases to steal victims' identities. Once acquired, they allegedly use the victims' information to gain access to the victims' Home Equity Line of Credit accounts and wire transfer the money to accounts mainly located overseas, some in the United States.
“Some of Onwughara's alleged coconspirators have been arrested, inside and outside of the United States. However, Onwughara remains at large. Onwughara was charged federally with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest by the United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, on August 1, 2008.” Investigators said Onwughara had once moved from Seattle in Washington, where he lived for a short time, then Houston in Texas. Later, he was found to have set up homes in Miami and Dallas. The Miami home costs $600,000, and the Dallas base was described as a playground, where he lived the life of a multi-millionaire playboy and businessman, renting a condo for $4,000 a month.
Dennis Michael Wagner, who works with the ‘American Most Wanted’, reveals that Onwughara loves "making it rain". He usually throws fistfuls of cash up in the air, at one of his favourite spots, a local strip club. They say he could easily drop $50,000. According to Wagner, Onwughara's desires didn't stop with cash and women. Investigators say he loves luxury cars. He has a Maserati, a Bentley, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and he had been working as a car salesman to indulge his passion. Once in his possession, agents say Onwughara would ship the cars to Nigeria to be sold.
Tobechi is a master in his art. The internet fraud must have enriched many folks in Africa and elsewhere across the universe but the truth is that there are grandmasters in the game. Whereas there are those who, out of ignorance, make little money out of the scheme and lavish it on women and drinks there are those who see it as a profession, believing in it, never quitting, perfecting its strategies and hitting the goldmine in the process. Inspite of the publicised general awareness associated with internet scams more victims are daily being added to the mugu list, far and near, and new ways invented for more prosperity by those involved!
Whilst the Nigerian government fights yahoo boys in Nigeria with EFCC those abroad are doing well; as some are going to prison others are smiling back home armed with good fortunes. The Yar'Adua confused regime must put in place mechanisms that will dissuade more Tobechis at home. More jobs must be created and a condusive atmosphere provided for students to study soundly. Tobechi may not have tasted the four walls of a university education but circumstances Nigerian must have pushed him to take the path he has chosen for himself.
After just few years sojourn in America citizen Tobechi has made big money and name for himself for the wrong reasons. In the eyes of his accusers, the American intelligence, he is an African nay Nigerian Osama Bin Laden -- roundly dangerous, crooked, mean-spirited and desperately wanted dead or alive. But in the eyes of many Africans who see reason with calls for reparation this dude is a hero. Do we then celebrate his exploits as a special breed? Yes and No! Your pick is as good as mine. SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
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