Nigerian Fraudster (Chibuikem Uzoma-Ubani) Who Hijacked Identities Of Soldiers & Nurses In £1.3m Benefits Swindle Jailed In London Today

 

 

 

Chibuikem Uzoma-Ubani, left and mother of his two 

children, Katrina Papiernikova, right

 

Nigerian man, Chibuikem Uzoma-Ubani, 29, a womanising fraudster who hijacked the identities of soldiers and nurses in a £1.3million benefits plot has today been jailed for six years.

Uzoma-Ubani persuaded several lovers to help him launder the profits from the swindle that targeted tax credits and Sure Start maternity grants.

Denisa Camacho, 28, of Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, and Katrina Papiernikova, 27, of  Romford, Essex both had relationships with Uzoma-Ubani, after arriving in the UK from Slovakia and were accused of turning a blind eye to his activities.

Uzoma-Ubani of Romford, Essex, married Camacho married in 2004, then divorced her and had two children by Papiernikova. The women both insisted they knew nothing about his crooked schemes and were both cleared of money laundering, but a third lover Ornela Miguel, 26, admitted the offence.

Katrina Papiernikova

Uzoma-Ubani and fellow Nigerian Leonard Nwannenah, 33, of Dagenham, Essex, opened a ‘bewildering’ 752 bank accounts using the names of hard-working medics and members of the armed forces over a six-year period. The pair were jailed for six years each while Miguel was handed a three-month sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Nwanneneh’s younger brother Okechi Nwannenah, 30, of Dagenham and Okechi’s wife Jennifer Okonkwo, 29, also allowed their bank accounts to be used to launder the proceeds. Okechi was conditionally discharged for 18 months while Okonkwo will be sentenced later.

Prosecutor Peter Finnigan QC said the gang netted at least £665,000 and would have made £1.3million had all of the bogus applications for benefit payments been successful.

The prosecutor added that Uzoma-Ubami had 159 bank accounts, either in his name or an alias, and police seized £200,000 from them.

Leonard Nwanneneh controlled at least 42 accounts and admitted he had used many more after illegally entering the country. ‘The total number of bank accounts was 752, used in the identity frauds,’ said Mr Finnigan.

‘Of those 752, 282 were active accounts in that they received the proceeds of the frauds, and during the course of the investigation over £1million had passed through them’.

‘The remaining 360 or so accounts were being prepared for future frauds’.

Sentencing at The Old Bailey today [Mar 6], Judge John Price said: ‘It was an extremely sophisticated fraud using three different types; intercepting cheques, tax credit fraud, and false maternity grants’.

Jailing Uzoma-Ubani for six years he said: ‘I have no doubt that you were a leader of this group, who organised it and kept it running’. ‘I will sentence you on the basis that it was sheer good luck, that you didn’t manager to acquire the full £1.3 million’.

Uzoma-Ubani's third lover Ornela Miguel, left, admitted money laundering, while Jennifer Okonkwo, right, admitted she had allowed her bank account to be used to launder money

‘If you have any money hidden away, the authorities will find it, and you will pay it back, or you will spend more time in prison’.

Accomplices: Leonard Nwannenah, right, helped Uzoma-Ubani to open 752 bank accounts while his younger brother Okechi Nwannenah, left, admitted he had allowed his bank account to be used

Sentencing Leonard Nwannenah to six years jail Judge Price said: ‘The worst thing about you in this case is that you got your brother and his wife involved, and for that you should feel guilty’.


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