Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has explained how a suspected fraudster, Malik Wakili, allegedly hacked his online account for six years to commit internet fraud.

Fashola, however, said he was not the direct victim of the fraud, valued at N3.1 million by the anti-graft agency.

In a statement by Fashola’s spokesman Hakeem Bello he said the fraudster was “creating a false identity with which he, among other benefits, bought first class tickets to various parts of the world.”

“Having persistently hacked into the accounts for over a period of six years, the suspect was tracked by the minister until enough evidence was gathered which was then passed on to the security agencies,” Bello said in the short statement.

On Monday, Wakili was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

He was charged on a 3-count charge bordering on impersonating Fashola, conspiracy and money laundering to the N3.1 million.
He allegedly fraudulently used Emirates Airline rewards, belonging to the minister, and valued at N3.1 million.

The EFCC said the offense is contrary to sections 15(2)(a) and 27(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and punishable under sections 15(3) and 22(3)(a) of the same Act.