By Fola James
Nigeria’s hip hop star, Azeez Fashola, populat as Naira Marley was among a list stars that smiled to the bank after performing last Saturday, alongside Burna Boy, Davido, Tiwa Savage at the 02 Arena in London at the Starfest show organized by Wizkid.
But while Marley was enjoying himself at the show, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC back home in Nigeria, was compiling evidence to send him to jail over allege credit card fraud and other offenses.
The anti- graft agency eventually found one fool-proof- evidence that could be used to put the controversial Marley behind bars for many years.
In the evidence presented before a high court in Lagos, the EFCC said the RnB star could be part of a big credit card syndicate that defrauds foreign nationals.
The EFCC, told the court on Wednesday that stolen credit card information issued by European, American and Latin American banks were retrieved from a laptop allegedly belonging to the musician.
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) forensics expert, Nuru Buhari, told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that some of the credit card information belonged to four persons in the United Kingdom (UK) including one Nicole Louise.
“During analysis, the cache file and history file revealed that the most frequently visited sites by the user of the computer include arder007.org, Zuni.sa, nationwidecheckbalance.co.uk, ferunshop.net AMD cocoa.co.uk.
Analysis of the websites revealed that web 1 is where stolen card information is sold to intending fraudsters, web 2 is for stolen credit cards specifically for the UK, web 3 is an online website designed for UK cardholders to check their balance wherever they are around the world, web 4 is a dark web meaning an underground tunnel in the internet where stolen credit card information is sold and traded, web 5 is an online shopping mall where members are given discounts for shopping from certain shops,” the EFCC witness said.
Most of the applications found on Marley’s laptop, the witness also stated indicated that he has been trying to dupe unsuspecting victims.
He explained that suspicious apps that are mostly used by people with shady deals on the Internet were found on the laptop.
The court was also informed that an analysis of the administrator account on the laptop revealed that the admin is one Naira Marley and the account was connected to his iCloud account.
Also at the hearing, EFCC prosecution counsel Oyedepo tendered the request for the analysis of the Apple Mac book Pro laptop, an iPhone allegedly confiscated from the defendant and the forensic laboratory report prepared by Buhari.
The musician was arrested on May 10, by operatives of the commission alongside others “in relation to advance fee fraud — Internet-related cases and all of that. Give me a little time and I will get you the details,” the EFCC said.
According to EFCC spokesman “Intelligence report had also linked them to cybercrime offence.
They were arrested along with: Tiamiu Abdulrahman Kayode, Adewunmi Adeyanju Moses and Abubakar Musa.
The case has been adjourned to tomorrow when Justice Oweibo will hear cross-examination of the witness.
