President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, says the body is yet to receive any official communication from the World Athletics, the United States Department of Justice or schools over the involvement of two Nigerian collegiates athletes in a fraud case in the US.
Emmanuel Ineh, a long jumper, and Toluwani Adebakin, a sprinter, both risk 10 years in prison after being convicted in the United States for their part in a “complex fraud scheme.”
“I have not received any information about that, not officially,” Okowa simply told our correspondent when contacted over the matter.
Ineh represented Nigeria at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where he won silver, while Adebakin is a 200m and 400m runner.
A further check on their profiles on the World Athletics website showed that both athletes had a number of collegiate competitions under their belts between 2018 and 2022.
According to a statement released by the US attorney’s office of the southern district of Mississippi, Ineh and Adebakin pleaded guilty to charges of “sending thousands of illicitly obtained proceeds to fraudsters in Nigeria as part of a larger mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.”
The scheme is said to have involved students of “multiple higher learning institutions in the United States.”
“Two collegiate athletes were convicted today before U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson for transferring thousands of dollars to Nigeria as part of a complex fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Field Office,” the statement — dated November 10 — read.
“According to court documents, Emmanuel Ineh, 23, and Toluwani Adebakin, 25, pleaded guilty to violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957, for engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activities, collectively sending tens of thousands of illicitly obtained proceeds to fraudsters in Nigeria as part of a larger mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.
“The scheme involved Track and Field athletes from multiple higher learning institutions in the United States, with part of the conspiracy being operated out of Hattiesburg while Ineh and Adebakin were Track and Field teammates at William Carey University. William Carey University was cooperative throughout the investigation.”
Both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced February 15, 2023, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
It is believed that they risk at least 10 years in prison. – Agency report.
