Ade was earning amounts between N5 and N10 million naira from minor runs in addition to these large jackpot wins. As was previously said, Ade Bendel expanded his fraudulent operations outside of Nigeria by diversifying his business and taking his evil trade global. He would offer extremely profitable investment opportunities in Nigeria to gullible but avaricious foreigners. He sent fictitious letters boasting of his “high connections” and his capacity to close any deal in Nigeria, a country rich in oil. Ade is a very cunning scammer. Ade Bendel was the total opposite of other con artists who would rather operate covertly and in the background.
He conducted business under wide public scrutiny. He was addicted to fame and adored the paparazzi. He hosted what is currently regarded as one of the largest parties in Nigerian history on December 12, 1999. A celebration fit to turn even the late Ezego of Ihiala green with envy. The event was his maternal grandfather’s funeral, and the location was the town of Hiveevie. The moneybag was determined to spend to the very end in order to rock the little town to its core. That burial is still one of the most talked-about in Edo State as I write this. He was only 35 years old, incredibly young, vivacious, and enthusiastic at the moment.
With the swagger of a drug lord, he assaulted the town, sure of his limitless cash vaults. We have many prominent artists on the list, including several Juju fuji and Galala reggae musicians. He employed some of the top musicians from that region because he was headquartered in Lagos State.
To put it briefly, seven artists were brought into the town, and N5 million naira was allocated for their upkeep. They certainly tossed more than just “bangers,” as they were all ready to light the small town on fire. A large number of Ade Bendel’s followers and friends, many of whom lived in Lagos, invaded Edo State driving some of the “sickest” and “baddest” cars. Many Nigerians experienced both oppression and mesmerization simultaneously.
In its entire existence, the hamlet had never experienced such an abrupt infusion of money. However, Ade Bendel’s mother had recently lost her father, and his affluent grandson must have been well-known to the gods. Laurie B Rentals, which is likewise based, provided the rentals. They were responsible for managing the canopies, tables, chairs, tents, and food that the event’s esteemed attendees were anticipated to devour. The hospitality company had to transport a whole freezer truck, loaded with wines and juices, all the way from Lagos. Ade Bendel paid a princely amount of N60 million just for the feature. That day, Laurie B. Rentals undoubtedly struck gold. The evening’s festivities got underway quickly, as the musicians were constantly showered with wads of cash. However, an intriguing event occurred. Ade Bendel and his companions did not “disgrace” the Nigerian naira entertainers.
They shamed the US dollar and the British pound sterling on the dance floor by continuously showering these foreign currencies with money. Ade Bendel was ecstatic and swayed his large bulk to the music played by the musicians he invited. He threw himself into the dance, rolling and smoking pricey cigars that were lighted by golden lighters as he pleased, while holding a glass of bubbling champagne in his hand. However, as the exuberant Ade Bendel continued to dance, more people joined in the craze, but the odd thing was that nobody was aware of or could identify the specific company that had made the native son of the land so wealthy.
President Olusegun Obasanjo would launch a bloody campaign against advance fee fraud crooks in September 2000. For a split second, it appeared as though Ade Bendel’s day was coming to an end. He was taken into custody by the International Police (INTERPOL) that same month and imprisoned at the Ikoyi Prison in Lagos, where he enjoyed himself. He was later driven to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Although the exact cause of his imprisonment at the time was unknown, rumors circulated that it was because foreigners, especially American businesspeople who had taken Ade Bendel’s bitter pill to excess, had been persistently petitioning the President for action.
About $10 billion had been lost by Americans to Nigerian con artists like Ade B as of 2000, and the US government was not taking Aso Rock lightly. An arrest and eventual prosecution of the most well-known fraudster in the country will undoubtedly send a strong message to the international community that the new democratic government meant business and was undoubtedly going to combat corruption. The pressure mounted, and the embattled Obasanjo presidency had to do something, at least. The two countries decided to collaborate and fight money laundering, advance fee fraud, and the ongoing global narcotics trade that utilized Nigeria as a transit nation.
Ade Bendel, though, is no pushover in the industry. He had just “washed and dried” a retired military officer for a magnificent sum of N14 million naira before his detention. In the instance of Hook Am for throat like sabalo bone, he was hauled before the court and given a remand order to remain in jail; nevertheless, he consented to reimburse the officer for the money. The not-so-long arm of Nigerian law finally caught up with Ade Bendel after he had spent years upsetting the social order, making multiple escapes, sending many people to an early grave by his heartless actions, and sentencing many more to a life of destitution and extreme poverty.
A high court in Ikeja, Lagos, condemned the well-fed man to six years in prison in December 2007. Ade Bendel, according to Judge Mufutau Olokooba, is an “embarrassment to the nation.” “The offense is a national embarrassment on a global scale, and the courts do not show mercy for such offenses,” the judge declared. to act as a disincentive to the current and future generations. Since it is improper to not give the accused the full force of the law, I hereby sentence the accused to six years in prison on a single offense. However, why?
In 2003, he had scammed Abdel Azim Attia, a former general in the Egyptian Armed Forces, of more than $605,000 (about N97 million). The destitute general claimed to have met Ade Bendel in Saudi Arabia and to have seen him as a trustworthy Muslim business partner.
Ade Bendel, who purportedly assumed the identity of Dr. Ibrahim Ahmed, pitched the retired general on the notion of a fraudulent agricultural endeavor. The retired general was lured in by the prospect of earning half a billion dollars upon investment. When Attia, 65, first gave his “business partners” $300,000, he was taken aback by how quickly the money disappeared. They told him that he needed to pay an additional $200,000 to arrange the transfer of the $500 million to his account, but they weren’t done with him yet.
Ade Bendel had already defrauded the general of about N100 million by the time he realized what was going on.
The Egyptian general could take it no longer and sent out a petition, which curiously resulted in a case that saw Ade Bendel put in jail. It goes without saying that ignorance in the military knows no geographical bounds. Nevertheless, this particular Egyptian general was tricked into thinking that, upon paying more than half a million dollars, half a billion dollars would be transferred to his account for the provision of farming equipment, even though another Egyptian general is currently well on his path to becoming the president of the biggest country in the Arab world. It makes me think of a quote: The truthful people are not duped.
Many Nigerians were worn out and irritated by these con artists’ actions in 2003. At the time, Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka addressed the matter by saying, “I want to call on the Obasanjo government to explore all possible avenues to ensure that activities of advanced fee fraudsters are curtailed.” It is embarrassing and undermines the efforts of sincere businesswomen and entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Ade Bendel’s arrest in May 2003 was a well-publicized event.
Ade Bendel was the target of the Federal Government’s redoubled efforts to take down financial crime kingpins. The “big man” hadn’t arrived back to his house on Friday. He was out enjoying the evening, busily. The following morning, at five in the morning, members of the Economic and Financial Crimea Commission (EFCC) had quietly encircled his home in Lagos’ opulent Victoria Garden City. Then they took down the guards at the gate and went inside the large house. Ade Bendel wasn’t even home; it was just his scared wife and children, which is why the EFCC agents’ information was erroneous. Ade Bendel the Big Fish was eventually reached on the phone, but he just laughed at the EFCC and assumed that everything would continue as usual and that he would be set free after a few calls.
He drove himself back home, where he was apprehended without any hesitation, such was his self-confidence. This time, however, he was mistaken since his calls would not keep him out of jail. Before being charged and ultimately imprisoned, he was subsequently detained at the Special Anti-Fraud Unit’s Milverton, Ikoyi Headquarters. However, since he had been detained since 2003 and the judge had given him a six-year sentence in 2007, he had already completed nearly the entire term. Mr. Olalekan Ojo, his attorney, had represented him in court, stating that he was a first-time offender and that the accused had already paid the complainant $200,000 through the EFCC and made complete restitution should get full rehabilitation and a maximum term of seven years for the offense for which he was found guilty. (At another time, Festus Keyamo served as Ade Bendel’s attorney, at least as of June 2003). This is where Part 2 of the narrative starts.
We will conduct additional research before releasing the full history in part 3, so stay tuned. Understand your past: It’s critical that everyone be aware of their past. If you enjoyed the history, do let us know. You can also let us know if you want us to continue with Part 3 of the story by leaving a comment below.