US Names 5 Nigerian Yahoo Boys Set for Deportation, One Once Made Forbes List

• The US Department of Homeland Security has published the names and photos of five well-known Nigerian cyber fraudsters facing deportation
• One of the men, Obinwanne Okeke, once featured on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list before his fraud conviction
• Briefly News’ sister site initially broke down who the five men are, their crimes, and how long they spent in US prisons

The United States government has published the names and photos of five well-known Nigerian Yahoo boys. They now face deportation once their prison terms end. The Department of Homeland Security updated its “Worst of the Worst” register with fresh details. It lists Nigerians convicted of serious federal crimes across the country. They are all prioritised for removal once released by immigration officials. The five men are part of a wider list of 124 Nigerians flagged.

Forbes-listed entrepreneur tops the list

Obinwanne Okeke, popularly known as Invictus Obi, is the most recognisable name on the list. He featured on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list back in 2016. He was celebrated then as one of Africa’s top young entrepreneurs.

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His image collapsed after the FBI linked him to a scheme. He helped hack a heavy machinery supplier’s email system. The scam siphoned off eleven million dollars from the company. Okeke served ten years in a federal prison for the crime. He was later handed over to immigration authorities for deportation.

Four other fraudsters named on DHS portal

Oriyomi Aloba hacked into a Los Angeles court’s computer system. He used it to send out over two million phishing emails.

He was sentenced to more than twelve years behind bars. Chibundu Anuebunwa ran a corporate email scam worth over R40 million. He impersonated executives to trick firms into wiring money. His sentence came to five and a half years in prison.

Quazeem Adeyinka helped steal over R36 million from pandemic relief funds. He used stolen identities to file fake unemployment claims. He received a 26-month prison sentence for his role.

Olaolu Alabi defrauded victims of more than R24 million overall. Part of the stolen money funded a luxury Hawaii holiday. He was also sentenced to five and a half years.

Deportation dates not yet confirmed

DHS has not released exact flight dates for the five men. Briefly News sister site Legit.ng reported each case moves individually. Deportation proceeds once a sentence ends or appeals are exhausted.

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The news comes as Nigerian visa applicants face a new application process. They must now apply directly through US diplomatic missions instead of the old online portal, which was recently shut down by the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Source: Briefly News