The Nigeria Police Force has declared businessman and CEO of Chinmark Group, Ijiomah Marksman Chinedu, wanted over an alleged N480 million investment fraud.
The embattled businessman is expected to appear before the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Interpol, and Force Headquarters in Abuja.
More details on the arrest warrant
A special police gazette bulletin disclosed that a warrant of arrest or bench warrant was issued by the Magistrate Court of Lagos.
Ijiomah Marksman is wanted for cyber fraud, obtaining money by false pretenses, and money laundering to the tune of N480,013 million.
The declaration also follows a petition by Chive GPS, a dispute resolution company that provides debt recovery solutions and other strategic services in Nigeria, on behalf of a client who had sent N480,013,000 into multiple bank accounts controlled by a marksman.
Some part of the petition, which was seen by Nairametrics, reads:
“We are retained by and others “our clients,” and on whose express instruction we write to lay a criminal complaint of well-orchestrated theft, fraud, and obtaining money by false pretenses against the trio of Ijiomah Marksman, Marksman Uhunoma Trinity, and Chinmark Group, herein referred to as “MARKSMAN.”
“Sometime in 2020 and 2021, MARKSMAN invaded the social media space and other mediums advertising for investment and posed as investment moguls that can manage the public’s funds for investments in real estate, hospitality, trading, and financial loans, in exchange for a fixed return at a predetermined rate and duration.”
The backstory
The police statement further disclosed that at different points, Chinmark’s clients transferred over N400 million to different bank accounts owned by Marksman with the expectation of fixed interest.
“Oblivious of the large-scale fraud ahead, our clients transferred, at various times, the sum of Four Hundred and Eighty Million Thirteen Thousand Naira (N480,013,000) into the following multiple bank accounts controlled by Marksman:
“The proposed transaction was packaged and designed to yield fixed interests.” However, upon expiration of the investment, the chief masterminds, Ijiomah Marksman and Purity Marksman, are rumored to have fled the country to the UAE or the South Pacific island of Vanuatu and severed all forms of communication with our clients.
“Marksman may have coordinated this fraud alongside a well-financed cyber-actor, namely: Amanda Chisom, Peter Awuzie, Happiness Awuzie, Linda Chinemelum Paul, Ada Ujaligwa, Timothy Benedict, and Harrison Gwamnishu, who promoted the following as CHINMARK GROUP’s assets all over the country,” the statement explained.
To prevent Markman from fleeing the country for South Africa, the petition sought to have him placed on a global “red notice.”
– Chukwudi Iwuchukwu
