Detectives in Kenya have arrested a member of a crime cabal that defrauded a Nigerian national of N150m.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations, DCI, in a statement on Friday, January 21, 2025, said Stephen Mugambi Colbe and his co-conspirators had approached the victim, pretending that they were in a position to hire a private jet to transport unspecified investment funds from Kenya to Nigeria.
“Hawkshaws drawn from DCI Headquarters have arrested Stephen Mugambi Colbert who earlier this month and with others who are yet to be arrested conspired to defraud a Nigerian national a sum of 150 million Naira,” the statement read.
“While presenting themselves as genuine business men, Mugambi and his cabal of malefactors approached the victim pretending that they were in a position to hire a private jet to transport unspecified investments funds from Kenya to Nigeria, a fact they knew to be false.
“Unbeknownst of the foul play, the victim made the payment amounting to 150 million naira only to realize later that he had been played when he could no longer reach Stephen or his cabal of friends in crime.
“Having burnt his fingers, the foreign national approached the DCI seeking for help where a manhunt for the snake oil merchants was launched leading to the arrest of Mugambi.
“Whereas his accomplices narrowly escaped the sherlocks’ dragnet, it is just a matter of time before they are smoked out of their hideout and brought to book.
“The DCI strongly warns that no efforts will be spared in dealing with such fraudsters. Further, we caution members of the public to do their due diligence in establishing the credibility of such businesses to avoid losing their hard earned money.
“Additionally, the public is also cautioned of an emerging trend where fraudsters have been found to be using crypto currency as a means of exchange outside the formal financial system in a bid to evade detection.”
