Woolwich Crown Court has convicted three siblings of laundering almost £1m for the Nigerian crime syndicate known as the Black Axe. Esther and Unuakpotovo Nakpodia both pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, while Okemiorukaye Nakpodia was found guilty by the court. The trio had laundered the proceeds of multiple acts of fraud between 2007 and 2015, with 174 suspicious transactions identified by the police. The Nakpodia siblings are due to be sentenced on 24 May 2019.
The siblings’ brother-in-law, Augustus Bemigho-Eyeoyibo, is the leader of the Black Axe, a banned organisation in Nigeria which is linked to murder, extortion and drug dealing.
Esther and Unuakpotovo Nakpodia will also be subject to extradition proceedings at a later date, in relation to advance fee frauds in Greece.
