A 39-year-old Nigerian businessman, Edwin Omokhuale, has been arrested in Ireland over an alleged US$23 million fraud involving an Australian mining company.
Omokhuale was detained by officers of An Garda Síochána at Dublin Airport on Wednesday afternoon while he was reportedly preparing to board a flight to Paris.
His arrest was carried out on the basis of a warrant issued by authorities in the United Kingdom, where the National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating the alleged multimillion-pound fraud.
According to the NCA, Omokhuale is wanted in connection with money-laundering allegations linked to a fraud committed against an Australian mining company in early 2023.
The alleged fraud involved approximately US$23 million, equivalent to about £17 million.
Investigators believe that the suspected fraudsters were based in the UK and allegedly deceived employees of the Australian mining company into transferring large sums of money into bank accounts under their control.
The NCA said Omokhuale was living in the UK at the time of the alleged offence. He is now facing allegations of money laundering in connection with the case.
Reports from Nigerian media have described Omokhuale as a Lagos-based real estate CEO, while reports circulating online have linked him to property business.
Available UK corporate records show that an Edwin Omokhuale is a director of MOED Properties Limited, a company registered in England. Companies House lists him as an active director, with his appointment dated April 11, 2023.
However, it is not yet independently established from the NCA’s announcement or the available corporate records that MOED Properties Limited is the specific Lagos real estate company referred to in the reports. The distinction is important because the criminal allegations concern the alleged US$23 million fraud and money laundering, not the ownership or operation of any particular property business.
Following his arrest, Omokhuale was due to appear before a court in Dublin as extradition proceedings got underway with a view to returning him to the UK.
The case involves cooperation between British and Irish authorities. The Irish authorities arrested him at Dublin Airport shortly before he was due to board his Paris-bound flight.
The arrest does not amount to a conviction. Omokhuale remains an accused person, and the allegations against him will have to be tested before the appropriate court.
The case has nevertheless attracted attention in Nigeria because of reports identifying Omokhuale as a real estate businessman.
Questions may now arise over the source of funds used in any property-related business associated with him, but there is currently no verified evidence from the NCA that properties or real estate purchased by him were acquired with proceeds of the alleged fraud.
Any claim that his estates or properties will automatically be sold to recover the alleged US$23 million would therefore be premature. Such action would depend on the outcome of the criminal and asset-recovery proceedings and any relevant court orders.
The NCA said the investigation remains ongoing.
