By Spear News Nigeria
Obinwanne Okeke, the Nigerian entrepreneur once celebrated on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list before his conviction for an $11 million fraud scheme, has returned to Nigeria after serving a six-year prison term in the United States and is reportedly positioning himself for a political career.
Okeke, popularly known as Invictus Obi, was arrested by the FBI in August 2019 at Dulles International Airport and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in February 2021 for orchestrating a sophisticated business email compromise scheme targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar Inc. He was released from U.S. custody on December 23, 2025, earlier than his original September 2028 release date, and was subsequently deported to Nigeria as part of his plea agreement.
According to a report by Peoples Gazette, Okeke has since re-entered Nigeria’s high society.
The Gazette reported that Okeke was “decked in a black tuxedo at the 40th birthday bash of Francis Udochukwu Nwaogwugu, an entrepreneur and real estate developer who is also known as Vintage,” and “waltzed the event’s black carpet with a bow tie and fancy see-through glasses.”
A close associate of Okeke told the Gazette that his “plans for political office would soon be made public.” However, the report noted that it was “unclear if his plans would involve seeking elective office from his traditional South-East region or lobbying for a political appointment at the federal level under President Bola Tinubu.”
The Gazette also highlighted a significant legal obstacle: Nigerian law bars individuals with convictions involving dishonesty within the last ten years from contesting elective office.
The report cited Section 182 (1)(e) of the Nigerian Constitution, which disqualifies any person from running for governor if “within a period of less than ten years before the date of election… he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty.”
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