The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fake

  • Task force arrests fake journalist, 67 miscreants

    A man has been arrested by Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) operatives for allegedly posing as a journalist with Television Continental (TVC).

    The task force Chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), in a statement, said  Soji Gboye, 36 from Ilaje in Ondo State, was arrested during an enforcement operations around Maryland and environs.

    Sixty-seven miscreants were also arrested and traders unauthorised places were dislodged.

    Egbeyemi said Gboye was arrested while obstructing the task force operatives from performing their duty.

    Gboye, he said, could not “properly identify” himself on interrogation.

    According to him, on being contacted, TVC management said the suspect was not its worker.

    He said the Commissioner of Police has directed that Gboye be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos Mainland, and others charged to court.

  • Four arrested in RRS’ raid of fake embassy

    Four arrested in RRS’ raid of fake embassy

    Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives has uncovered a fake embassy and arrested four persons including two Chinese nationals.

    The operatives, led by RRS Commander, Olatunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) stormed the fake embassy located at Golden Point and Suite Hotel, Duduyemi Street in Ejigbo, after receiving complaints of fraud from victims.

    Items recovered during the raid were 25 international passports, 10 laptops, screw driver, five phones and paper documents.

    The suspects – Liu Honyang, 47, Sun Xinai, 49, Oriyomi Olawale, 47 and Desmond Chinedu, 25 – were said to have conspired and swindled Nigerians who had planned to travel out of the country to seek greener pastures.

    The police were said to have lodged in the hotel for two days monitoring their activities before apprehending them.

    A victim, Adekunle Adefuye, told RRS operatives narrated how he was lured to go to Trinidad and Tobago by the suspects and was later deported.

    He said: “I met these people through one of their agents, Dorcas Slyver. She is a daughter to my brother’s pastor in Abeokuta. I told her my intentions to travel to United States. Then she told me to come to Lagos that she can procure the American visa for me.

    “On getting to Lagos, she took me to these Chinese where I was told that I should go to Trinidad and Tobago. They persuaded me to go to Trinidad and Tobago that it was easier to secure employment with at least 3,000 dollars as salary.

    “Initially, I declined to take their bait, insisting that I preferred America. But in the long run, they brainwashed me into agreeing to go to Trinidad and Tobago. It was at this point, I was told that I would pay N1.3 million for the whole process including visa processing and flight fare.

    “The payment was made in instalment. N376,000 for Visa, ticket, N850,000, accommodation, N39,000 and visa Fee N33,000, which I obliged and paid all the monies into Dorcas’ GTB Accounts: 0130671906.”

    Continuing, the victim said he and another person were rounded up immediately they got to Trinidad and Tobago by the country’s immigration officers for coming into the country with fake visas.

    “We left Lagos en route Lome on October 19. From Lome to Sao Paulo in Brazil. From there, we moved to Panama where we boarded another plane to Trinidad and Tobago. On getting to the country, we were arrested by their security operatives, accusing us of entering their country with fake visa and documents.

    “We spent two days underground inside police custody. They treated us like criminals, trying to enter the country illegally. We were locked up for 48 hours before we were deported on October 22, and arrived Nigeria the following day.”

    Another victim, Rasheed Ololade, said he also paid N1.3m into Dorcas Sylver’s account, after persuaded him to go to Trinidad.

    One Lukmon Odeyemi, a footballer said he parted with N125,000 for Trinidad and Tobago visa.

    Meanwhile, one Friday Owah, who was at their office when they were apprehended, disclosed that he paid N600,000 to go to Trinidad and Tobago.

    In the course of investigation, the police were said to have contacted the High Commission of Trinidad and Tobago in Abuja, which replied by denouncing the so – called agents.

    A letter dated December 7, referenced ABJ: 6/2/3/14 and signed by Garth Lamsee, Acting High Commissioner for that country said: “…the Mission can categorically confirm that the individual SUN XINAI who is claiming to be an agent of this mission is unknown to us. Furthermore, this mission does not use the services of an ‘agent’ in any capacity whatsoever and has never done so in the past either.

    “With regard to the authenticity of the attached visas, the mission can also categorically confirm that those visas were not issued at this High Commission and are clearly fraudulent…Noteworthy too is the fact that since June 2015, this mission had stopped issuing stamped visas in passports for individual electronic visas from our country’s capital Port of Spain.”

    Confessing to the crime, Honyang said: “We operate as separate travel agencies under the company’s name, Golden Point Hotel and Tour but our office is located inside the hotel.

    “Sun Xinai is my sister and she is the director of the travel agency.  I only do paper works and documents for visa procurement. I don’t know how she secures visa for people. What I know is that she travels to Abuja and comes back with that stamped visa.”

    But Sun Xinai, the major suspect, noted that she was unaware that stamped visa for Trindad and Tobago was no longer tenable in that country anymore.

    Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP) said command was on the trail of all their agents and canvassers, adding that the public should be wary of fake visa agents.

    All the suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for further investigation.

  • ‘How fake products affect oil’

    Adulterated petroleum products, including lubricants, are affecting the market share and profit margins of operators, A-Z Petroleum Limited Executive Director Mr Dikanna Okafor has said.

    Speaking on the sideline of the just-concluded Oil and Gas Logistics Expo in Lagos, Okafor said the firm had seen people selling fake lubricants and other fake products but it could not do anything.

    He urged stakeholders, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), to proffer solutions to the problem.

    Okafor said: “The firm will help in creating awareness for the growth of the sector. We know that fake lubricants are being brought into the market daily. We would try to educate consumers on what and how they can get value for their money by patronising quality products. We hope the issues surrounding fake products would be addressed soon.

    “We constantly seek opportunities to reiterate our commitment in the industry, and this is one event we are excited we are part of. Every developed country is driven by industrialisation and one thing common in industrialisation is machineries need lubricants to function effectively.

  • Fake doctor arrested in Ekiti

    A fake doctor has been arrested in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

    The state Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Sunday Omoya, who spoke at the weekend to round off this year’s Physicians’ Week, urged the public to be vigilant on whom they consult on health matters.

    He said: “The NMA, in partnership with MDCN, set up a monitoring team to tackle quackery.

    “The man was reported to the police and was arrested after a screening conducted by the local government where he had worked for 11 years showed that he was parading fake certificates.

    “We reported to the commissioner of Police and the man will soon face prosecution in court.”

  • Lagos warns chiefs against fake number plates

    •85 arrested on Sanitation Day

    Lagos State Government has warned chiefs in traditional councils and their relations to desist from using fake vehicle number plates.

    The state Task Force on Environmental Sanitation Enforcement said: “It was observed that these chiefs and their relations use vehicles with fake different special plate numbers, which is contrary to the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012.”

    The statement signed by its Public Relations Officer Taofik Adebayo, said investigations revealed that most of these council chiefs and their relations used vehicles with special plate numbers, which have been discovered to be fake.

    It added that the vehicles were being used to commit environmental offences and dubious activities.

    The task force urged traditional rulers to check the excesses of their chiefs and their relations by ensuring that all their vehicles with special traditional number plates were registered.

    It warned that anyone arrested with any of these vehicles would be charged to court.

    The statement added that the task force arrested 85 people during the last environmental sanitation exercise.

    The 85 people, who include 68 males and 17 females, were arrested for loitering and moving around while the sanitation was ongoing.

    “They were arrested around Ojota, Yaba, Marland, Ikorodu, Mile 2, Ikoyi, Ajah, Orile-Iganmu, Ojodu Berger, Agege and Lagos Island,” the statement said.

    Adebayo said: “Commissioner of Police Mr FataiOwoseni has directed the task force chairman OlayinkaEgbeyemi, a Superintendent (SP) to charge those arrested to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Courts.”

    The statement said 285 miscreants and 295 motorcycles were impounded in the last 30 days by the task force.

    “While 83 of these motorcycles were impounded at a special battlefield operation with Okada riders at Agric Bus Stop in Ikorodu, others were raided for plying restricted routes and major highways across the state.

    “These 285 miscreants and hoodlums were arrested by officials of the Lagos State Task Force at Oshodi, Mushin, Oyingbo, Ajah, Agege, Mile 2, Victoria Island, Okokomaiko, Obalende and Ojodu.

  • FRSC to fight fake driver’s licence gangs

    FRSC to fight fake driver’s licence gangs

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC)  has declared war on syndicates which procure fake driver’s licences.

    Unit Commander in Surulere, Lagos, Mr Olatunji Oguntoye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos: “In this locality (Surulere), Lagos, we are battling with fake driver’s licences in some quarters and this is attributed to activities of touts.

    “But we are doing all we can to see that we overcome it, hence, in our public enlightenment activities, we encourage people not to patronise fake officials.

    “That is what led us to transform the old licence to this one. You cannot be issued any licence now without physical capture.

    “If we capture your photograph, we also input your data in our system. But if you say you are getting a driver’s licence today through a third party, can you say it would be properly done? How will the system recognise somebody by proxy?’’

    He said the command often visited worship centres, motor parks, and enlist the support of rulers to enlighten the public on the consequences of  a fake driver’s licence.

    “The corps will prosecute whoever is found to be producing such fake licences.

    “So that has been part of the protection we are putting to ensure the authenticity of the driver’s licence,” Oguntoye added.

    On the delay in the collection of driver’s licences produced by the corps, the commander said the FRSC adopted notification methods to ensure that backlog of such licences were cleared without delay.

    “We have gone the extra mile to inform people through short service messages and phone calls that their licences had been produced.

    “As a result, we have been able to clear a lot of the backlog, but we discovered that many people are still not ready to come for them.’’

    Oguntoye, however, said drivers, whose licences were still being processed, should produce a temporary licence, which is also issued by the corps, upon request.

    On use of seat belts, he said: “The seat belt does not hurt you. Safety is the surest insurance, so you don’t need to negotiate or compromise.’’

    He said the unit would continue to synergise with the media, to ensure that motorists and the public adhered to road safety rules.

  • Member reports ‘fake’ miracles’ church to police

    •Command probes allegation

    Allegation of faking miracles to defraud unsuspecting church members and the public has hit a Pentecostal church in Benin, the Edo State capital.

    An aggrieved member of the gang performing and staging fake miracles for the ministry reported himself and the church to the police in the ancient city.

    Operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) from the police command’s headquarters have reportedly begun investigation into the allegation.

    Sources at the police command headquarters said the founder and General Overseer of a popular church had been invited and quizzed.

    The member, who allegedly reported the self-proclaimed evangelist to the police, said the cleric owed him N48,000, being the agreed fee for sitting in a wheelchair as a cripple for six days before he received his “healing” during a recent church deliverance programme.

    It was learnt that the man, who is currently the main complainant and suspect, also alleged that the evangelist bought him a ram for thanksgiving in the church.

    He added that the preacher collected from him a suit he presented to him as the church gift, in front of the congregation, shortly after he gave his false testimony.

    When our reporter approached the complainant at the police command headquarters in Benin, he said he wanted to use the money to buy drugs because he was on medication.

    He said: “It was N8,000 per day; the programme was for six days. He collected the suit from me and gave it to another person.”

    But a police officer prevented him from giving further details on the matter, saying: “The matter is still under investigation.”

    Our reporter’s visits to the church on The Limit Road, off Sapele Road in Benin, revealed a large congregation of worshippers, most of whom appeared hypnotised and desperately seeking miracles.

    In separate chats with our reporter, some members noted that “since God used our daddy (the General Overseer) to deliver a woman who carried a horse in her womb for several years, deliverance has not ceased here. Just sow a seed in the church and watch out for your miracle.”

    But others conceded that the church membership had reduced considerably because some members left when they felt conned or did not get “expected” miracles.

    Penultimate Sunday, the overseer told the congregation: “Run to the altar with your tithe. It will turn to alligator pepper in your pockets if you go home with it.”

    This happened during our reporter’s second service at the church.

    The old and the young in the church rushed to meet the evangelist on the altar in response to his statement.

    The photographs our reporter took in the church were forced to be deleted by officials of the church, led by the Protocol Officer, who said photos were strictly restricted in the church.

    Several attempts to obtain comments from the founder and General Overseer of the church did not yield any result.

    A lady, who claimed to be the church’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) but refused to disclose her name, said: “Journalists always work with rumours.”

    Contacted, police spokesman Osifo Abiodun, a Superintendent (SP), said: “The case has been transferred.”

    It could not be confirmed where it was transferred to at the time of filing this report last night.

  • ‘Why fake lubricants exist in Nigeria’

    Lack of stricter measures against producers of fake lubricants, selling of fake lubricants at cheaper prices by unscrupulous persons, high level of connivance among distributors and others, have been adduced as reasons for the proliferation of sub-standard lubricants in the industry, stakeholders in the downstream petroleum industry have said.

    The stakeholders, including the Managing Director, A-Z Petrochemicals Mr. Linus Ilozue and the Managing Director, LUBCON Nigeria Limited, Mr. Taiye Williams, spoke at different fora in Lagos. They urged the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to come up with stricter measures to curb  fake lubricants.

    Ilozue said fake lubricants would reduce once regulatory policies are put in place to discourage adulteration. He said the activities of people who adulterate lubricants would have been curtailed, if officials of  SON were always at the ports when the products berth,.

    He said: “The issue surrounding proliferation of substandard products in the market is best linked to the less supervisory role of SON. For us (producers), the regulators have a lot to do in ensuring that fake lubricants and base oil are reduced to the barest minimum.”

    He also said that there has been a general preference for imported products over locally made products. “The inability of the country to appreciate our local products has paved way for sub-standard products to come into the market,” he added.

    Williams also stated that the country refined base oil last in 1995, stressing that activities of individuals  who adulterate engine oil and other lubricants are killing the business. According to him, the issue of fake product is affecting the sale of lubricants, adding that users doubt the efficacy of available  lubricants.

    “The country has remained mute over refining of base oil. Kaduna refinery is supposed to be refining these products but it refined base oil last in 1995.

    “We urged the government to come to our aid by ensuring these products are produced in the country, as it will generate more revenue for the economy and kick away fake products from the market.

    “Also, there is need to ensure a favourable environment for quality products to grow. There is need for stricter policies to discourage importation of these fake products to the country,” he added.

  • ICPC’s battle against fake doctors

    ICPC’s battle against fake doctors

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) is set to battle Martins Ugwu, who confessed to working with the Federal Ministry of Health for close to a decade with stolen certificates. The commission is also prosecuting another fake doctor, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    Mr Davidson George joined the Federal Ministry of Health  in 2006 as a Medical Officer 11 on grade level 13. He was due to be promoted as Assistant Director in Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, a parastatal of the ministry when it turned out the man everybody had addressed as George in the last few years is actually Martins Ugwu.

    He was later remanded in prison after he was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja. He was accused of stealing certificates of Exemption issued by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level), belonging to George.

    A five-count charge was brought against him. He was charged, among others in the five-count charge, of claiming ownership of the certificates and tendering them before the Federal Civil Service Commission in Ebonyi State and was offered a temporary letter of appointment, dated August 30, 2006.

    Count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/296/2015 reads: “That you Martins Ugwu Okpe, male, aged 44 years, of the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on or about March 13, 2006, at an unspecified hour in Karu Abuja of the Abuja Division, committed stealing; and did steal certificates of Bachelor of Medicine and National Youth Service Corps Exemption dated February 8, 2005, with serial number 000027400, property of Mr. Daniel Davidson George, being the certificate awarded to him by the Senate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, dated August 29, 2002 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Law.”

    Ugwu pleaded not guilty. Justice Gabriel Kolawole granted the accused bail in terms and conditions agreed upon by the prosecution and defence lawyers, Malik Taiwo and O. O. Otemu.

    Taiwo filed a counter-affidavit to Ugwu’s bail application but withdrew it later. Justice Kolawole admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in the same amount. He later met the condition and returned home.

    The case is still on but the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) is determined to retrieve the over N17m he earned as a worker in the ministry.

     

    The beginning of the end

    Trouble began for Okpe when three of his colleagues – Dr. Adebayo Williams, Chidozie Godwin and Abdulazeez Umar, in a petition titled: “Unbecoming Behaviour of Dr. George Davidson Daniel” to the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission on May 13, last year asked for the investigation of his professional claims. They complained that “Dr. George, who claims to be a trained medical doctor in such a way that is unbecoming of his profession, has been involved in blackmailing, character assassination and mudslinging”.  The petitioners said Ugwu was using the certificate of a medic with a Mission in Jos,  Dr. Davidson Daniel.

    The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) forwarded the petition to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), the body in charge of keeping the records of all medical practitioners in the country. The council discovered that it has a doctor named George Davidson Daniel in its archive, but the picture sent to it from the Ministry is different from the one sent in its archive.

    On June 4, last year, the Registrar of MDCN, Dr. A. Ibrahim, in a letter to the Chairman of FCSC, Deacon Joan Ayo, confirmed that Ugwu was impersonating Daniel.

    The council wrote: “Records available to the council revealed that this Dr. Davidson Daniel George is an impostor as he is impersonating another Dr. Davidson Daniel who is the genuine doctor and currently undertaking his residency training in Jos, Plateau State. Council summoned and interacted with the genuine doctor who gave some vital information on the impostor. Council has reported the matter to the law enforcement agency as a case of impersonation, with the genuine doctor deposing to a statement with regards to what happened between him and the fake doctor whose real name is Mr. Martins Ugwu. As it is, Mr. Martins Ugwu is an imposter. You may therefore wish to take further actions to deal with this matter in accordance with the provisions of the law.”

    On June 5, last year, the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), in a letter to the Chairman of FCSC, confirmed that the real George Davidson Daniel graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery in May 2002. The latter was signed by the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Prof. A. G. Bakari.

    After its investigations, FCSC wrote  the ministry asking that the suspect should be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution. He was placed on suspension pending his dismissal from the Service.

    Ugwu initially dismissed the allegation against him claiming he was being victimised because he was exposing the rot in the ministry. At another point, he said he joined the ministry with a friend’s credentials so as to have enough facts to expose corrupt people in the ministry.

    When the deputy spokesperson of the police, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Abayomi Shogunle paraded him at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on July 7, last year, Ugwu , who confessed to the crime, said he was 44 and father of five.

    He said: “I never opted for clinical services to avoid damage that may occur. I went into administration and research. It is in the health services, research and statistics that all the fraud in the health sector is found.

    “I have great remorse but it’s my desire to save my country that pushed me into this. I have great passion for Nigeria. I participated in the Ebola mission and much more and have not even been paid.

    “Severally there were biometrics verification but I survived them. I was the NMA chairman since 2008. Federal Ministry of health, I don’t think it has the mechanisms for that. The ministry is porous.”

     

    Enter the ICPC

    The ICPC has dragged Ugwu to a Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court on eight count charges of stealing and impersonation. In the charges signed by Osuobeni Ekpo Akponimisingha for the Attorney- General of the Federation, ICPC accused Ugwu of presenting stolen certificates of his friend to the FCSC on August 30, 2006 to gain employment with the Federal Government.  The ICPC accused Ugwu of earning salaries of over N17 million from 21 September, 2006 to 31 May, 2015 as an employee of the ministry.

    The offences, the commission said, are punishable under section 25 (1) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    Ugwu  is also to answer for deceiving the Chairman of FCSC by claiming in a  form that that his next of kin is ‘Ugwu Martins’ – thus running foul of section 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    The ICPC is also charging Ugwu for falsely presenting himself as Dr. George Daniel Davidson between 2006 to 2015 to earn promotions and  other benefits.

    Five witnesses have been lined up against him. They include two ICPC investigators, Dr. George Daniel Davidson, FCSC Chairman, MDCN Registrar and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.

    And George Dawari

    The commission is also prosecuting Mr George Dawari who it said not only posed as a medical doctor but was also involved in visa scams.

    The media consultant to the ICPC, Folu Olamiti, noted that during interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect was neither a medical doctor nor did he work in the National Hospital Abuja as claimed.

    Dawari was arrested on June 5, 2015 on the strength of a petition filed before ICPC alleging that he demanded N450,000 from a couple with a promise to procure 5-year visas to the United States for them and members of their  family.

    Olamiti said: “?After obtaining a warrant, a search on the residence of Dawari who had earlier offered to administer drugs on one of the  petitioners, a female, under the pretense of being a medical doctor, ICPC operatives discovered some medical equipment including a stethoscope and medical coverall with his name engraved on it in his possession.

    “Also discovered in the suspect’s house were  six green Nigerian  passports, four  of which had been stamped with the United States visas . The passports were subsequently sent to the American Embassy for authentication. The  U.S. Embassy declared the visas fake and process for procurement fraudulent.”

    He is being tried at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja for violating section 16 of the ICPC Act 2000 and section 321 of the Penal Code.