By Ghazali Ibrahim 
A Nigerian tech enthusiast and self-identified supporter of Peter Obi’s “Obidient” political movement, Sapphire Egemasi, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over her alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme targeting U.S. government agencies.
Egemasi, who had gained modest visibility online through platforms such as Devpost and tech hackathons, was arrested in April in the Bronx, New York, alongside other conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, who authorities believe led the syndicate.
The scandal has raised fresh concerns about the unchecked rise of online political influencers and activists who simultaneously operate in questionable digital spaces.
People online are quick to link Egemasi’s activities to what is described as a pattern of moral posturing by day, cybercrime by night, within supporters of the Obidient movement.
The online political base aligned with Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Nigeria’s 2023 elections.
Court documents show Egemasi played a key role in creating spoofed U.S. government websites to steal login credentials from legitimate officials.
These stolen details were then allegedly used to reroute large sums of public funds.
In one instance, investigators said the syndicate diverted $965,000 from the city of Kentucky into a PNC Bank account in August 2022.
Another $330,000 was funneled into a separate Bank of America account around the same time.
The indictment, which covers criminal activities between September 2021 and February 2023, includes charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
The offences, if convicted, carry up to 20 years in prison.
The accused are currently being held in federal custody in Lexington, Kentucky, pending trial.
While the political movement itself has not been officially linked to the fraud, the arrest has sparked intense debate on social media about the credibility of some of its vocal supporters who had been involved in one or two fraud case.
