The Nation Newspaper

Tag: defrauds

  • Pastor ‘defrauds’ church members of N1.5m

    A 52-year-old pastor yesterday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding members of N1.5 million.

    Pastor Michael Udom of Pinnacle Praise Church, Lagos, was alleged to have committed the act on the pretext of coordinating a monthly contribution,

    The prosecution alleged that the accused obtained N1.5 million from Sylvia Nnamdi and Alfred Olugbenga, on the pretext of being a pastor and coordinator of the Ajor Thrift Association.

    Police Sergeant Michael Unah said the accused committed the offence with two others at large sometime in May at Fadeyi, Lagos.

    He alleged that the accused, who portrayed himself as a pastor and the coordinator of the thrift association to the complainants, convinced them to join the contribution, but converted N1.5 million to his use.

    Unah alleged that the accused refused to give the complainants money when it was their turn to collect.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Chief Magistrate A. A. Fashola granted him N200,000 bail, with two sureties in the like sum.

    The sureties, he said, must be employed with evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government, and  their addresses verified.

    The sureties must be relations of the accused and live in the court’s jurisdiction.

    The magistrate adjourned till January 22.

     

  • Man allegedly defrauds Bureau De Change operator

    There was pandemonium in Ogudu, Lagos State last Friday when a Bureau De Change (BDC) client accused of defrauding an operator, slumped and died.

    The Nation learnt that the unnamed man, a regular customer of a BDC operator identified as Maxwell Uba, had gone for a foreign exchange transaction.

    Uba was said to have given the man dollars amounting to about N4million on the agreement that the deceased would transfer the naira equivalent to his account.

    But after collecting the dollars, the deceased, said to have ridden on a motorcycle with another colleague of his, told Uba they had sent the money and left.

    It was gathered that having waited a bit without notification from his bank, the BDC operator boarded another motorcycle in pursuit of his clients for fear they might have defrauded him.

    He was said to have raised the alarm, which attracted people.

    It was learnt that an argument ensued between the parties, which led to onlookers mistaking the unnamed man for a thief. The mob that gathered allegedly beat up the young man, who slumped and died on the spot before policemen from Ogudu were invited.

    Police spokesman Chike Oti said the cause of the death was yet to be established.

    He said the police were still investigating the case, adding that the only information available to him was that the man slumped and died.

    Oti said: “The police got to the scene and arrested Maxwell Uba and the other man who came with the deceased. Both men were transferred to FSARS for investigation that same day.

    “We are yet to find out what really happened. Medical examination will state the cause of death. We will investigate to know if it was a case of delayed notification from the bank or the men actually defrauded the operator.”

  • Barber ‘defrauds’ two Americans of $23,000

    A 27-year-old barber, Wale Kehinde, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja High Court for allegedly defrauding two Americans of $23,000 through romance and lottery scams.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kehinde of 8, Ogundare Awise Lane, Gbagada, Lagos, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge of obtaining money by false pretences and possession of fraudulent documents preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    According to Mrs Zainab Ettu, the prosecuting counsel, the barber allegedly committed the offences sometime in 2017 in Lagos.

    “The defendant goes by three aliases which are Charles Coleman, Benson Coleman and Carolina Brewer. While posing as Charles Coleman, the defendant fraudulently obtained $15,000 from Janice Steen, an American, by falsely representing to her that he is an American building contractor who was in love with her.

    “He illegally obtained $8,000 from Jan Rowland, another American, by falsely informing her that she had won a lottery and that he was Carolina Brewer, a lawyer working on her winnings.

    “While posing as Carolina Brewer, Kehinde informed Rowland that the $8,000 represented clearance fees for the lottery winnings,” Ettu said.

    The counsel said the defendant was found with fraudulent e-mails sent to foreigners.

    “On June 21, 2018, he had in his possession a g-mail document entitled “About Me”, which he had sent to Kasie Butler, to her e-mail address kasiebutler@hotmail.com, the document he sent contained false pretence.

     

     

     

  • Guard ‘defrauds’ school of N2.45m

    The police in Lagos have arrested a school’s security man for alleged attempt to defraud his employer of N2,450,000.

    Oyekunle Abolarin, 42, a resident of 4, Shoyebo Street, Alapere, Ketu, was arrested following complaints by the school’s proprietor that the money was withdrawn from the school’s account on four occasions, between April and July.

    Abolarin, it was gathered, was a beneficiary of his victim’s benevolence as four of his children were on scholarship awarded by the proprietor.

    It was gathered that the suspect had stolen four cheques belonging to the school, which he filled and deposited in his in-law’s account for payment.

    The police said the suspect issued cheques with N900,000, N800,000, N150,000 and N600,000, adding that when the bank contacted the proprietor, she denied issuing such cheques.

    Police spokesman Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), added: “Following her complaint, Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal mobilised a crack team of detectives from the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), led by s Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Vera Ameh, to fish out the brains behind the attempt to commit the felonious act to wit: stealing.

    “Through diligent investigation, Abolarin was arrested and he confessed to the theft of four different cheque leaves belonging to the school.

    “He thereafter called in his brother-in-law, Are Jerry Bankole, who provided the Diamond Bank account used in the attempt to withdraw the various amounts.

    “Abolarin told the police that he regretted his action against his employer whom he claimed awarded scholarships to his four children.

    “Both suspects are currently in police custody and are helping in further investigation of the case.”

  • Man ‘defrauds’ two women of N800,000

    A 29-year-old man, Tosin Adepoju, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding two women of N800,000

    Adepoju and others now at large were charged on a five-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and false pretence before Magistrate O Sule-Amuzat.

    Prosecuting Inspector Benson Emeurhi told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on March 28 in Ikeja.

    According to Emeurhi, the defendant was alleged to have obtained the sum of N300,000 from one Tolani Jones with a pretence to help her procure clothing materials.

    Emeurhi further informed the court that the defendant also fraudulently obtained N500, 000 from Oluwaseun Ariyo with a pretence to help her procure clothing materials.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Sule-Amzat granted him N50,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    She ordered that the address of the sureties be verified and adjourned the case till June 7.

     

  • Man impersonates Dambazzau, defrauds victim of $10,000

    POLICE in Abuja have arrested a suspected fraudster, Prince Momoh Enema, who had defrauded prominent citizens in various parts of the country, using the name of the current Minister of Interior, Abdulraman, Dambazau. The 40-year-old suspect who is a native of Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, is currently undergoing interrogation by men of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT. Enema was arrested when he posed as Dambazzau to defraud the Seriki of Gwandabawa area of Sokoto State of the sum of $ 10,000 through a phoney contract deal. It was learnt that the leader of the syndicate, identified as Dr. Usman who is currently at large had on April 2017, contacted the Seriki, and identified himself as General Abdulraman Dambazau, the current Minister of Interior of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was said to have informed the Seriki that President Muhammdu Buhari had decided to reward the Seriki and his people at Gwadanbwa, Sokoto State for their support during the 2015 elections and had decided to employ 20 natives of Gwadanbawa into the Nigeria Police Force and the Customs Service. He was also said to have instructed the Seriki to send the names and curriculum vitae of the 20 persons through the office of the chief of staff to the Minister of Interior and the sum of N45,000 on each applicant for procuring training kits for them.

    The Seriki was said to have unsuspectingly sent 20 names, CVs and the said sum of N1million through the said chief of staff to the minister and a date was given to him, when the applicants would commence training. The source said: “Few weeks later, the fake minister called the Seriki and informed him that the ministry was about issuing contracts for the supply of equipment worth N3 billion to the Nigeria Police Force, Customs Service and other paramilitary organisations under the ministry. The fake minister then asked the Seriki to send him his company’s profile and the sum of $10,000 to the personal assistant to the minister. “The Seriki at this point became suspicious and decided to conduct a proper check before committing an amount as huge as $10,000 to the deal. He was said to have contacted the Federal House of Representatives member representing his constituency, Hon. Abdulahi Balarabe Salame, and urged him to verify from General Dambazau, if he had made any contacts with him and if he was truly demanding the said sum for contracts.

    ” The source added: “After confirming that the Seriki had been dealing with fraudsters, Hon. Abdullahi urged the Seriki to play along and they agreed to lure the fake minister to a location in Abuja where he would be arrested. The Seriki, then called the fake minister and informed him that he was ready to pay for the contract and that he also had a copy of his company’s profile with him. The fake minister then told him that he would be sending his Personal Assistant to pick the money and the documents, but when the said PA got to the location he was arrested by the police.” The suspect in a chat with newsmen denied being a member of the syndicate. He however confessed that he met Dr. Usman, the fake minister, at the Millennium Development Goal (MDG’S) office located at Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a contract biding session in 2014.

    The suspect who claimed to be married with two children and also the leader of Igala Young Empowerment Initiative, said: “When I met Dr Usman, he told me that he usually secure contracts from the Federal Government and sell those he could not execute and that he also buys from people who want to sell theirs. ” I reside in Abuja with my family and I have a farm in Nassarawa State, I didn’t know that he was a fraudster until I was arrested. He normally sends me on errand after which he will give me money. On the day I was arrested, he called me and we met at Area 11, Abuja from where we drove in his car to a Total Petrol Station close to the Police Force Headquarters. He asked me to go into the petrol station that someone would give me a parcel. When I entered the fillings station, I saw a big man who asked if I was the PA to the minister and I said yes. We shook hands and before I knew what was happening, I was arrested by the police. He drove out of the place immediately I was arrested. I told the people who arrested me that I wasn’t aware of what was happening and that I was only sent on errand but they didn’t listen. They took me to General Dambazzau in his office and he advised me to assist the police in arresting Dr Usman and that they will allow me go home after doing so.”

  • Agent ‘defrauds’ Chinese of N4.5m

    A 26-year-old agent, Ubong Friday Johnny has been arraigned before an Ebute Metta Magistrates’ Court for alleged forgery and stealing.

    Friday was docked for conspiring with two others at large for unlawfully obtained N4.5million from a Chinese Woman, Sun Xinai.

    The accused was said to have obtained the money under the pretence that he would get Trinidad and Tobago Visa for her.

    Prosecuting Superintendent Dike Fidelis told the court that the accused committed the crime last August  around 12:30 at Abuja and Lagos.

    He pleaded not guilty.

    “The accused forged confidential documents of Trinidad and Tobago for Sun Xinai under the pretence that he was an agent. He has offices in Abuja and Lagos, where he operated and duped three other persons.”