A manhunt has been launched in Kenya for Don Solomon alias Mukisa Okello, who goes by several other names such as Tony Taban, Suleiman Malish, Yee, and “Big Papa”. The South Sudanese is suspected to be an international fraudster with cases of fraud and related offenses reported in Melbourne, Kampala, and Nairobi. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) reported him to be a “self-styled millionaire” who is wanted for depositing a bad cheque and fraudulently obtaining ten 55-inch television sets worth over Sh599,950 from Naivas Mwembe Tayari branch. Additionally, the suspect has been accused of patronizing hotels in Nairobi and sneaking out without paying his bills. The man on the run also failed to pay a bill of Sh1 million after staying at a luxury facility on Chiromo Road for a couple of days. Big Papa is believed to have previously gifted a TV host in Uganda a vehicle that was discovered to have been stolen from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The suspect has been on the run, and it is alleged that he has previously evaded two police dragnets. Although authorities in Uganda have on several occasions hunted him down for fraud, the DCI relied on his Instagram account to track and gather evidence of his activities for over a year.
The wanted fraudster shares photos of his flashy lifestyle on social media to hoodwink his next victim. However, his looks resemble that of the late American rapper Notorious B.I.G. aka ‘Big Poppa’, which is a contrast to the flashy lifestyle he lives. Police believe he shares photos of his luxurious lifestyle to impress and attract celebrities, which works as they want to be friends with him. He has partied with celebrities in Uganda, and many look up to him, setting standards on social media. The authorities investigating the case say that Big Papa has broken the hearts of a dozen women who fell for his fake lifestyle. The hunt for him comes two years after another social media fraudster, Nigerian influencer Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, was arrested in Dubai in June 2020. Hushpuppi flaunted a lavish lifestyle supported by laundering millions of dollars and was later sentenced to more than…
In conclusion, social media has become a hub for fraudsters to attract and scam victims. People should be cautious when interacting with individuals who flaunt luxurious lifestyles on social media platforms. Additionally, law enforcement agencies should use social media to track and gather evidence to arrest and prosecute fraudsters who use social media to scam innocent people.
