The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has apprehended Wilfred Bonse, the former governorship candidate for Cross River State and member of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), in connection to a security breach and financial fraud affecting Patricia, a cryptocurrency firm.
Bonse, who contested the Cross River governorship election in 2023, is accused of conspiring to launder the sum of N50 million, which allegedly originated from the fraudulent diversion of N607 million from Patricia. The police revealed that Bonse received the funds through his bank account using a cryptocurrency wallet.
Muyiwa Adejobi, the NPF Public Relations Officer (PRO), stated in a Friday press release that Bonse’s arrest followed an extensive investigation into the complex financial fraud case reported by Patricia.
“The case involves a criminal conspiracy, unauthorized modification of computer systems, network data, and the unlawful diversion of funds amounting to over Two hundred million naira (N200,000,000:00k) as contained in a petition to the Inspector General of Police,” explained Adejobi.
He added, “Wilfred Bonse conspired in laundering the sum of fifty million naira (N50,000,000:00k) originating from the fraudulent diversion of six hundred and seven million naira (N607,000,000:00k) from Patricia Technology company’s account to his bank account through a cryptocurrency wallet.”
This is not the first time Bonse has been implicated in cyber fraud. In February, he was accused of benefiting at least N40 million from a cyber fraud scheme executed by a group of hackers known as ‘The Syndicate.’
Commenting on Bonse’s arrest, Hanu Agbodje, the founder of Patricia, claimed that the politician was used “to steal N607,000,000 from Patricia.”
“My commitment remains to Patricia users; repayment started on the 20th of November, and it would continue until every user is reached,” assured Agbodje, highlighting the ongoing efforts to address the impact of the fraud on Patricia users.
