Nigerian entrepreneur and convicted fraudster Obinwanne Okeke, famously known as Invictus Obi, has been released from a United States prison and is now set for deportation back to Nigeria.
Early Release and Impending Deportation
Records from the United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed that Okeke was no longer in federal custody as of Wednesday, December 23, 2025. The BOP listing simply stated he was “Not in BOP Custody.” This development comes approximately three years before his original scheduled release date of September 3, 2028.
Okeke, now 38 years old, was sentenced to a 10-year prison term in February 2021 after pleading guilty to charges related to a massive business email compromise scheme. Having been arrested in August 2019, he has served roughly six years. The specific reasons for his early exit from prison are not fully clear, but it is widely believed to be connected to the terms of his plea agreement, which included deportation.
Authorities have indicated that arrangements for his removal from the United States are currently in progress. Legal analysts note that a transfer to a state prison was never likely, as his crimes were federal in nature.
The $11 Million Fraud Scheme
The case that brought down the once-celebrated businessman involved a sophisticated cyber fraud operation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Okeke at Dulles International Airport in Virginia as he attempted to leave the country.
Investigations revealed that Okeke and his accomplices targeted Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy machinery. In April 2018, they successfully executed a phishing attack that compromised the email account of a Unatrac executive.
With access to the executive's email, the fraudsters then orchestrated a series of fraudulent wire transfer requests. They supported these requests with fake invoices, effectively diverting company funds to accounts they controlled. The total estimated loss from this scheme was a staggering $11 million.
Fall of a Forbes-Listed Entrepreneur
Prior to his conviction, Obinwanne Okeke was a prominent and admired figure in African business circles. His rise was meteoric; he was named to the prestigious Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list in 2016 and was later included among the publication’s 100 Most Influential Young Africans.
He was the founder and public face of the Invictus Group, a conglomerate that claimed investments across several high-profile sectors in Nigeria and beyond, including:
- Construction and Real Estate
- Agriculture
- Oil and Gas
- Telecommunications
His fall from grace serves as a stark cautionary tale about fraud in the digital age. In Nigeria, the legal repercussions continue. A Federal High Court has already ordered the temporary forfeiture of over ₦280 million traced directly to his bank accounts.
The release and impending deportation of Invictus Obi close a significant chapter in a transcontinental fraud case, highlighting the long arm of the law for cybercriminals and the fleeting nature of ill-gotten wealth and fame.
