The Nation Newspaper

Tag: duping

  • Donkey skin dealer charged with ‘duping Chinese of N10m’

    A dealer in donkey skin, Ifeanyichukwu Philip, who allegedly duped a Chinese, Feng Zhao Zhu, of N10 million, was at the weekend brought before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Philip, 49, was arraigned by the police before Chief Magistrate Afolashade Bokoku on a three-count charge of obtaining under false pretence, fraudulent conversion and stealing.

    The Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (Force CIID), Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, accused Philip of obtaining the sum on the pretext of supplying Zhu donkey skins.

    Prosecuting counsel Morufu Animashaun, in a charge marked B/04/19, alleged that the defendant committed the offences on or about March 8, 2017, at 272A, Cooperative Estate, Festac Town, Lagos.

    He alleged that following an agreement between Philip and Zhu, the Chinese transferred N10million to Phillip’s Polaris Bank account number 1040560081.

    The court heard that after the Nigerian confirmed receipt of the cash, he failed to supply the skins and became evasive, following which the complainant petitioned the police.

    Phillip pleaded not guilty.

    His counsel, C. O. Idowu, applied for his bail “in the most liberal terms.”

    “What happened between his client and the complainant was a purely business transaction,” he added.

    Responding, Animashaun did not object, but observed that bail was at the court’s discretion.

    Chief Magistrate Botoku granted Phillip N1million bail with two sureties in the like sum, among other conditions.

    She remanded the defendant in prison custody pending the fulfilment of the bail terms and adjourned till February 21 for trial.

  • EFCC charges firms, directors for duping bank of N7.8b

    EFCC charges firms, directors for duping bank of N7.8b

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused two oil service companies and their directors of defrauding a bank  of over N7 billion.

    It filed charges against the directors, Ogbor Kehinde Eliot, Godwin Okoronkwo, and the oil firms, Danium Energy Services Ltd and Petrosol Energy Ltd, at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The commission said they allegedly defrauded the bank of N7,802,649,000.

    The agency said they presented forged documents to the bank after claiming to have been awarded multi-billion naira contracts by Total Nigeria Plc.

    The defendants claimed they got contracts to supply thousands of metric tonnes of diesel and needed funding.

    EFCC, in the charge signed by prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, said the four, on or about October 5, last year, in Lagos, with intent to defraud, conspired to induce the bank to deliver N1,573,146,000 to Danium Energy Services.

    The commission said it was under the false pretense that Total Nigeria Plc contracted Danium Energy Services to supply 10,000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) for N1,990,440,000.00 .

    EFCC said the accused persons, on November 15, last year, with intent to defraud, induced the bank to deliver N1,573,146,000 to Danium Energy Services.

    The commission said Eliot and Danium Energy Services on or about January 30 in Lagos conspired to induce the bank  to deliver N3,339,225,000 to Danium Energy Services.

    EFCC said they claimed that Total Nigeria Plc, through a letter dated January 30, contracted Danium Energy Services to supply 15,000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) for N4,103,100,000.

    Eliot and Danium Energy Services were alleged to have collected the N3,339,225,000 from the bank on February 3.

    The prosecution said on February 9, Eliot and Danium Energy Services allegedly conspired to induce the bank to deliver N2,890,278,000 to Danium Energy Services.

    According to EFCC, they pretended that Total Nigeria Plc, vide a February 9 letter, with Ref No: OPS/SUP/02/17/125, contracted Danium Energy Services to supply 15,000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) for N4,015,800,000.

    They were said to have collected the money on February 17 in Lagos by inducing the bank to “deliver” it to Danium Energy Services.

    The alleged offence is contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3)of the same Act.

    The defendants were also accused of “uttering” (presenting) a forged document dated October 5, 2016 with Ref No: OPS/SUP/10/16/361 to the bannk.

    The alleged offence is contrary to Section 19(6) and punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    The accused persons were also accused of “uttering” of a forged document dated January 30 with Ref No: OPS/SUP/01/17/084 to the bank.

    The defendants are yet to be arraigned.

  • Woman held for ‘duping’ partner of N7m

    Woman held for ‘duping’ partner of N7m

    Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives have arrested a woman, Gladys Assah-Asor, for allegedly defrauding her business partner, Nkiruka Okon, of N7million.

    The 35-year-old single mother from Cross River State, lives at 33b Silifatu Abioye Street, Ogba, Oke-Ira. She works as a network marketer for a popular product based in Ikeja.

    The suspect, RRS claimed, confessed to the crime during interrogation by its Decoy Team after Okon reported the matter.

    RRS quoted Assah-Assor as saying: “I met Okon in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, in 2008 where she works as with a commercial bank. We were just friends as at then.

    But later in 2015, I marketed a product to her called Healthy Halogen Oven, a product imported into Nigeria by a networking marketing company called Avenues to Wealth. As a network marketer and a partner to the company, my duty is to bring potential customers and partners into the business for a win – win profit making both for the customer and myself.

    “I told Okon about the Healthy Oven which was one of the products of Avenues to Wealth sold for N12,000 at company price.

    “We agreed to partner in buying large quantity of the product, myself and Okon would put together the financial capital while I do the marketing and transportation of the product to the customers”.

    In her statement, Okon, according to RRS, said: “I got interested in the healthy oven marketing business and decided to go into partnership with Gladys, whom I have known since when I was residing in Port Harcourt. We agreed to buy about 410 units of the oven from the company where one sells for N12,000 and agreed to sell at the rate of N20,000.

    “I made a deposit of N4,500,000 to Gladys account on the agreement that after sales I would be collecting back N7.5 million plus the profit  but she refused to stick to the plans as agreed in our memorandum of understanding. After I contacted her for my money, she refused to pick my calls and absconded for over one year. Then, I realised I have been duped by the person I thought was my business partner.

    “All my efforts to persuade Gladys to pay my money proved abortive as she continued to give me one excuse or the other.

    “During one of our confrontations in 2016, Gladys issued me a dud cheque of N3 million, N2 million and another N2 million making N7 million in total but the bank told me the cheques were not payable.”

    RRS accused Assah-Assor of duping another woman who investigators declined to reveal her identity.

    Assah-Assor, RRS said, also confessed to have duped the woman of N1.8million in a car purchase deal she brokered.

    Besides, RRS said: “She confessed to have linked the woman to an auto dealer from whom her sister wanted to purchase a Toyota 4-wheel drive worth N3 million. She had convinced the lady to pay for the vehicle in installment.

    She confessed to have collected the first tranche of N1.8million on behalf of the auto dealer. The bubble burst when the lady demanded for a refund and that she was no longer interested in the deal upon realising that Assah-Assor was up to some games.

    She disclosed to investigators to have used proceeds from the second fraud to open a catering shop business, bought a car, travelled out on vacations and got a suitable apartment for her family.”

    The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.

  • Man arraigned for duping corps member

    A man, David Emmanuel, has been arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Akure, the Ondo State capital, for allegedly duping a corps member, Idowu Temitope, of N750,000.

    The suspect reportedly collected N120,000 from Temitope to help him get a job at the Department For International Development (DFID).

    It was gathered that the corps member also paid Emmanuel N630,000 to buy him two cars from two federal agencies.

    The Prosecution Counsel, Tolu Abisagbo, said the accused should not be granted bail because other suspects are still at large.

    He added that the presence of the accused would be helpful in further investigation.

    But the defence lawyer, Rotiji Emmanuel, prayed the court to grant his client bail on the grounds that he is presumed innocent, until proven contrary.

    The Presiding Magistrate, Sola Adedapo, ordered the suspect to be remanded in police custody till tomorrow, when the matter comes up for hearing.

  • Man arraigned for duping church member

    A 26-year-old man, Samuel Aroma, has been arraigned before the Oshodi Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for fraudulently obtaining N160, 000 from one Onyinye Nwachukwu on the pretext of securing a job for himself.

    Aroma was charged with a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

    He pleaded guilty to the offence which the prosecutor, Olatunde Kehinde, said contravened Sections 285 and 312 of Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    The claimant, Onyinye Nwachukwu, said she worshipped in the same church with the accused

    Onyinye said she gave Aroma N20, 000 the first time he told her about securing a job which he promised to refund after getting a job.

    “Since he was a church member, I decided to assist him. He came to me severally for money which I gave him. There was a day he phoned me saying he was in Abuja and they requested an International Passport where he worked so I sent him money. The day I called his mobile line, someone else picked his call and when I asked where the person was, he said he was at Agbado crossing in Lagos. I traced the address and I saw him there. It was then I knew he had been lying. I also got to know he was not in search of a job.

    “I reported him to Ilupeju Police Station and he was arrested,” she said.

    Onyinye, who lives at Adekunle Odunlami Street, Ilupeju in Lagos, said she wants him to refund her money.

    Magistrate A.A Fashola adjourned the matter till June 3.