THE VULTURES II: NIGERIAN WOMANISING FRAUDSTER OPENED 725 BANK ACCOUNTS FOR BENEFITS SWINDLE

Like their usual wayward lifestyle, this particular fraudster is not far from the usual and stereotyped scammer but he did the unusual to become one of the most wanted in UK. Chibuikem Uzoma-Ubani, 29 years old fraudster opened 725 bank accounts in £1.3m benefits swindle. He is a superstar when it comes to womanising as he uses his several lovers to aid his dirty acts. Chibuikem Uzoma-Ubani was found guilty and sentenced for intercepting cheques, tax credit fraud, and false maternity grants.

Before he became so notorious in UK, Chibuikem was initially staying in Slovakia but upon his arrival in UK he dated Denisa Camacho, 28, of Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, and Katrina Papiernikova, 27, of Romford, Essex. In 2004, he married Camacho and later divorced her to had two kids with Papiernikova.

Chibuikem and Leonard Nwannenah 33, of Dagenham, Essex, opened a ‘bewildering’ 752 bank accounts using the names of hard-working medics and members of the armed forces over a six-year period. Chibuikem also worked with other Nigerians to pull off his fraudulent acts: Okechi Nwannenah, 30 (Nwanneneh’s younger brother), Jennifer Okonkwo, 29(Okechi’s wife).

According to prosecutor Peter Finnigan QC, Chibuikem and Leonard were sentenced for six years. Ornela Miguel, 26, (Chibuikem’s third lover and who admitted she knew about his fraudulent acts) was also sentenced for three month. Okechi was conditionally discharged for 18 months while Okonkwo will be sentenced later.

Peter Finnigan said: ‘This case concerns the sophisticated and professional fraud operation which went on for a number of years. The gang netted at least £665,000 and would have made £1.3million had all of the bogus applications for benefit payments been successful. This was done by targeting the UK’s benefit system and by cheque fraud. They used a bewildering number of post office and bank accounts which numbered in the hundreds. They did not get away with everything they tried because fraudulent applications were weeded out.

The prosecutor added that Uzoma-Ubami had 159 bank accounts, either in his name or an alias, and police seized £200,000 from them.

‘Of those 752, 282 and were active accounts in that they received the proceeds of the frauds, and during the course of the investigation over £1million had passed through them.

Signature: D'Prince