A Nigerian businessman once lauded as one of Africa's most promising young entrepreneurs has been released from a U.S. prison and is set for deportation after serving a sentence for orchestrating an $11 million international fraud scheme.
Obinwanne "Invictus Obi" Okeke, 38, was released from federal custody this week after serving approximately five years of a ten-year sentence. His release appears to benefit from the First Step Act, a bipartisan prison reform law signed by former President Donald Trump that allows for reduced sentences based on good behavior. As stipulated in his 2021 guilty plea, his release triggers arrangements for his deportation to Nigeria.
The Rise and Fall of a 'Promising' Entrepreneur
Okeke's story is a stark tale of a dramatic rise and precipitous fall. In 2016, he was celebrated in the **Forbes 30 Under 30** list for Africa. His company, The Invictus Group—named after a poem about an "unconquerable soul"—was praised for its investments in construction, agriculture, and oil and gas. Forbes highlighted his narrative as a self-made entrepreneur from a humble background.
The $11 Million "Business Email Compromise" Scheme
Behind the polished facade, however, Okeke was running a sophisticated cybercrime operation. According to U.S. authorities, between 2015 and 2019, he masterminded a "multi-year global business email and computer hacking scheme."
His primary method was a **Business Email Compromise (BEC)** scam. He stole the login credentials of Unatrac Holding Limited, a major exporter of Caterpillar industrial equipment. By compromising the company's email accounts, he and his co-conspirators intercepted legitimate invoices and rerouted payments to bank accounts they controlled. Through this "subterfuge and impersonation," they fraudulently obtained approximately $11 million.
Arrest, Conviction, and Asset Forfeiture
The FBI's investigation led to Okeke's arrest in August 2019 at Dulles International Airport in Virginia as he prepared to board a flight to Nigeria. He was later charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit computer fraud.
In February 2021, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Simultaneously, a Nigerian court ordered the temporary forfeiture of over ₦280 million found in his local bank accounts, part of efforts to recover the proceeds of his crimes.
His release this week closes a significant chapter in a high-profile international fraud case, returning a once-celebrated figure to Nigeria as a convicted felon. The case remains a cautionary tale about the thin line between celebrated entrepreneurship and criminal enterprise in the digital age.
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