Not the very best of times for high-flying businessman Edwin Omokhuale right now.
Until the long arm of the law nabbed him at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 1, just as he was about to board his flight to Paris, the 39-year-old was one of the supposed shining lights of Nigeria’s real estate business.
Young, handsome & seemingly successful, he was one of those you could easily describe as young, upwardly mobile & wealthy. But the bubble has suddenly burst, or so it seem.
Omokhuale was arrested in Dublin on a UK warrant over allegations of involvement in a US$23 million (£17 million, that’s about ₦30b plus in today’s Naira conversion) money-laundering scheme, reportedly linked to an alleged invoice-redirection fraud against an Australian mining company in 2023.
The alleged proceeds were said to have moved through several Chinese & Turkish banks.
Of course, he remains innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. An arrest, however dramatic, is not a conviction.
Omokhuale, a naturalised British citizen who was born in Nigeria, is the founder/director of Lagos-based real estate company MOED Properties Ltd. UK Companies House records show that he became a director of the company in April 2023 (14793324). He is also listed as a director of MOED Designs Ltd, a position he has held since August 21, 2018, according to UK records 11529680.
Both companies are registered to the same correspondence address at 13 Admiralty Avenue, London, England, E16 2PL. He is also said to be the CEO of MOED Construction.
Now, instead of another business trip, another property deal or another flight into the high life, Omokhuale finds himself fighting an extradition case, & full prosecution.
He has appeared before an Irish court & is currently awaiting the outcome of the extradition proceedings. His bail application has not been approved.
Quite a turn of events for a man who, only a short while ago, seemed to have everything going for him. The law, as they say, has a long memory.
