Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, Nigerian banking magnate and father of the failed Underwear Bomber, has been placed under arrest after investigations revealed he is the mastermind behind the Nigerian Letter email banking scam.
A source at the US embassy in Abuja said: 'I can confirm that Alhaji Umaru Mutallab was summoned to the desk office of the US embassy in Abuja where he was interrogated by men from the CIA and FBI, and arrested jointly by US and Nigerian officials.'
The famous Nigerian Letter, or '419' scam, circulated widely through emails. The letter offers the recipient the 'opportunity' to share in a percentage of millions of dollars that the author, pretending to be a government official, is trying to transfer illegally out of Nigeria. Gullible participants in the scam find that, ultimately, their bank accounts have been drained by persons unknown, and the money diverted to untraceable accounts.
Alhaji Umaru Mutallab is the father of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, who is accused of trying to bomb a US-bound airplane with explosives sewn into his underwear.
US and Nigerian officials were not available for comment, as the investigation is ongoing.
