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Tag: fraudster

  • Internet fraudster bags 12 months imprisonment for impersonation

    Internet fraudster bags 12 months imprisonment for impersonation

    A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gwagwalada on Tuesday sentenced a man, Jeffrey Umahon, to one year imprisonment for internet fraud when he pretended to be a Chinese American businessman.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) docked Umahon (a.k.a Shengxin Lu) for attempting to cheat by impersonation.

    He pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Aliyu Shafa, convicted and sentenced Umahon, while giving him an option to pay a fine of N200,000.

    Shafa ordered that the Infinix cell phone and Deli laptop which were used as instruments for exploit be forfeited to the Federal Government.

    He said that the forfeited property should be sold by EFCC and the proceed realised be deposited in government account.

    He ordered that the convict should swear an affidavit of good behaviour for one year.

    He said this would serve as a deterrent to anyone that wanted to toe the part of the convict.

    Earlier, the convict had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, adding that he would not indulge in such act again.

    “I am an S.S three drop out as a result of no fund to continue. I am very sorry for my action and promise not to do that again,” he said.

    The Defence Counsel, Mr M.K. Nwogu, in support of the allocutus by the convict, told the court that Umahon, who had no previous conviction record in Nigeria, was very remorseful and repentant.

    “The convict dropped out from school and since then has taken a vocation in barbing.

    “But due to peer pressure he left the job to chase after media wealth as the first son of the family to take care of his mother and siblings.

    “He has the intention of furthering his education. He is a first time offender. We beg the court to temper justice with mercy,” Nwogu pleaded.

    Nwogu also appealed to the court to use its discretion and consider a community service for the convict, which the court objected to, adding that the court would abide by the plea bargain they have entered into.

    Read Also: Alleged fraud: Court refers case against two businessmen to Police for investigation

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, told the court that Umahon and his counsel had entered and signed a plea bargain on Monday.

    Mshelia also told the court that the convict sometimes in 2023 within the jurisdiction of the court, attempted to cheat by pretending to be one Shengxin Lu, a Chinese American businessman.

    He said that the convict in that assumed character, chatted one Hoang Trang with the intent to cheat.

    Mshelia said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code.

    (NAN)

  • $565,000 green card scam: Absence of defence counsel stalls trial of ‘fraudster’

    The absence of defence counsel yesterday stalled the trial of Marco Ramirez, an American who allegedly defrauded three Nigerians of $565,000 in an American Green Card scam, at an Ikeja High Court.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on June 22, last year, arraigned Ramirez before Justice Josephine Oyefeso on a 16-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false presences.

    The accused plead not guilty to the charges and the judge granted him $250,000 bail with two sureties in like sum on July 10, last year.

    At yesterday’s resumed sitting of the court, Ramirez, who has fulfilled his bail conditions, informed the court that he had no legal representation.

    “I have no legal representation this morning, my Lord. I have been unable to reach my lawyer,” he said.

    EFCC’s prosecuting lawyer, Mrs V. O. Agboje, prayed the court for a new trial date.

    “The defence lawyers were present in court at the last adjourned date. I urge the court for a new trial date,” she said.

    Justice Oyefeso granted the request of the prosecuting counsel and adjourned the matter till June 26 for the parties to pick a trial date.

    Ramirez, who has been convicted in absentia of fraud-related offences in the United States, is said to be the Managing Director of three companies – U.S.A Now Plc, Eagleford Instalodge Group and U.S.A Now Capital Group.

    According to the EFCC, he committed the offences between February and August 2013.

    The American was accused of fraudulently receiving $545,000 from Ambassador Godson Echejue to invest in Ramirez’s company.

    It was learnt that the plan was to procure an American green card (permanent residence card) for the Nigerian.

    Ramirez was also said to have received $10,000 from Abubakar Umar through a non-existent investment programme in the U.S.A, to make Umar eligible to obtain an American passport.

    The EFCC also accused Ramirez of illegally receiving $10,000 from Olukayode Sodimu in the pretext that the funds were facilitation fees with the American Immigration Services for an American Green Card.

     

  • Alleged forgery: Internet fraudster knows fate Friday

    Justice Serifat Solebo has fixed Friday for judgment in the charge of fraud against an Internet fraudster and popular “yahoo-yahoo boy”, Taiwo Michael Okunowo.

    Taiwo Okunowo, who goes by three other aliases including “Holy Herlich, Mark Welsh and Steven Staller”, was initially arraigned before the court on a one count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The charge stated: ” Taiwo Michael Okunowo, a.k.a. “Holy Herlich, Mark Welsh and Steven Staller” on or about  December 16, 2017  made a false documents to wit Facebook, Government Compensation Winning Certificate, Treasure Grant Winners Certificate and Facebook-Brandon M. Mickey with intent to use as genuine to the prejudice of any people”.

    The offence is said to be contrary to section 363(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State no 11 of 2011.

    The defendant had pleaded not guilty.

    Read Also:Fraudster convicted of defrauding bank denied bail

    EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Anselem Ozioko had tendered Government Compensation Winning Certificate, Treasure Grant Winners Certificate and a Facebook account page of the defendant where he bears another name as exhibit before the court.

    But at resumed proceeding Wednesday, counsel to the defendant, Mr. John Odubela (SAN) informed the court of his client’s intention to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.

    He said that his client has entered into plea bargain agreement with the EFCC.

    Mr. Ozioko who confirmed the development did not opposed the oral application.

    He gave a review of facts of the case by the prosecution against the defendant.

    He said: “Based on the intelligence tip off of his suspicious activities and his syndicate, a convert operation was carried out by the EFCC on December 16 last year, whereupon the defendant was arrested alongside several of his partners in crime.

    “The defendant was taken to the Lagos Zonal Office of the EFCC where he was processed and the items recovered from him particularly his HP Laptop computer was analyzed through forensic examination of the EFCC ICT Lab.

    “The analysis revealed that the defendant is a carreer internet fraudster popularly known as ‘yahoo yahoo’.

    “Several documents containing false pretences were found in his possession and printed from his HP Laptop computer such as document containing conversation in which he falsely represented himself to one Michael Smith as a white female with the name Holly Herlich,” Ozioko said.

    He also asked the court to order the defendant to forfeit a Toyota Camry car, been proceed of fraud and the HP laptop been an instrument used to facilitate the forgery and fraud act.

    He urged the court to convict the defendant to one year imprisonment in accordance with the terms of the plea bargain agreement.

    After listen to submission of the counsels, Justice Solebo adjourned the matter till tomorrow for conviction and sentencing of the defendant.

  • Fraudster convicted of defrauding bank denied bail

    Fraudster convicted of defrauding bank denied bail

    A serial fraudster, Emmanuel Nwude, who was convicted in 2005 of defrauding a Brazilian bank of $242million, was yesterday denied bail by a Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.

    Justice Mojisola Dada declined bail for Nwude the second time in a fresh forgery case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The defendant was denied bail by the court, which ordered his remand at Kirikiri Prisons last Friday.

    The court yesterday refused the bail application of the defendant despite his claim that he needed to undergo a surgery for a prostate-related ailment.

    EFCC had arraigned Nwude at the court alongside two lawyers, Emmanuel Ilechukwu and Roland Kalu for allegedly forging legal documents of a property forfeited to victims of a crime through judgment.

    Ruling on Nwude’s bail application, Justice Dada held: “Although the ailment the defendant is suffering from is a serious one, no material fact has been placed before the court to put weight behind the application.

    “It is also worthy of note that from the criminal records of the defendant, he is a convict, thereby rendering him a high flight risk.

    “If granted bail, he will not stand trial.

    “The defendant should, therefore, be remanded in prison custody pending the outcome of the trial.”

    The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, had opposed Nwude’s bail application.

    He asked the court not to grant bail on the grounds that the defendant posed a huge flight risk.

    “The crime the defendant was convicted of affected the integrity of Nigeria in the international community.

    “We ask the court to grant accelerated hearing,” Oyedepo said.

    Justice Dada thereafter ordered that Nwude be remanded in prison and adjourned the matter till March 14 for trial to begin.

    Nwude and co-defendants had pleaded not guilty to a 15-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, making documents without authority, dealing with forfeited property without authorisation and transfer of forfeited property to nominees.

    Other offences for which they were charged include: making false statement to a public officer, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, attempt to pervert the course of justice, fabricating evidence, giving false evidence under oath and giving false information to the EFCC.

     

  • Police nab suspected ATM fraudster

    Enugu State Police Command has arrested a suspected Automated Teller Machine (ATM) fraudster operating in Enugu and its environs.

    Spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said yesterday in a statement in Enugu that the suspect was nabbed last Saturday about 11:30 am.

    He said the suspect was arrested at an ATM point of a new generation bank on Rangers Avenue, Enugu with six ATM cards belonging to victims.

    Amaraizu said the feat was achieved by the New Haven Police Division, Enugu, following a directive by Police Commissioner Mr. Mohammed Danmallam, based on intelligence information.

    He said: “The suspect, who gave his name as Augustine Nwoko of 34, Carta Street, Ogui, Enugu, said he defrauded people who came to withdraw at ATM points by offering to assist them to withdraw.

    “Before you know it, your pin number is tapped and he will quickly return an ATM card, which may appear like that of customer’s own.

    “Subsequently money will start disappearing from his victims’ accounts as the entire money will be siphoned.

    “Nwoko said he belonged to a syndicate, which specialised in staying around ATM points and pretending to assist users on how to operate the ATM.”

    The spokesman advised the public to be wary of the activities of mischief makers, who might be at any ATM point pretending to render assistance.

  • RRS arrests suspected fraudster

    RRS arrests suspected fraudster

    Rapid Response Squad operatives have arrested a suspected fraudster.

    Dare Yusuf, 31-year-old who lives at 1, Abayomi Jones, Oke-Ilube Ikotun Lagos, was arrested after tricking a victim into buying a substance, Adija, used to print fake notes.

    Yusuf with two others, Seun and Ayo (still at large), RRS said, specialise in defrauding innocent Lagosians.

    RRS said he confessed that Ayo is the ‘Catcher’, Seun is the ‘Jejeti’ while he (Yusuf) is the ‘Sitter’.

    He was quoted as saying: “Ayo approached the victim to inquest about a location he was going and told the person he was going there to sell Adija worth between N800,000 to N1m.

    “Seun appeared, Ayo then requested the victim and Seun to accompany him to the place with a promise to give each of them a sum N200,000 each for helping him. Seun took them to Yusuf’s office in Idi-Araba.

    Yusus used the Adija to produce about N2 million with some other chemicals.”

    RRS said the trio duped another victim of N46,000,  iPhone 6  and Techno W6 at Ikate, Surulere, Lagos sometime in August.

    Yusuf said he has been into the business for years.

    Techno W6 was recovered from the suspect.

    He has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID), panti, Yaba, Lagos Mainland for further investigations.

    Police spokesman Olarinde Famous Cole, a Superintendent (ASP) advised members of the public to be more vigilant and report any suspicious act to the police.

  • His Excellency, a fraudster

    As chief law officer of his state, the least Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello could have done was be statute compliant in his bid to regularise his voter registration status. That would have served the collective interest well – not only in keeping with Nigeria’s electoral laws, but also in offering a worthy leadership example to ‘Kogites’ as well as to other citizens beyond the state’s borders. But ‘His Excellency,’ with imperial impunity, steamrollered the minimal benchmark of excellence when he recently chose the crass and crooked option of double registration to getting his name onto the Kogi State voter register. And to compound that offence, he spurned registration points designated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the exercise and appropriated his Government House office for his warped agenda.

    Bello affronted the law in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) by the electoral body. The governor, according to INEC, had registered as a voter in Abuja on 30th January 2011. And we need concede that it is really awkward for a sitting governor to have his voter status outside where he holds office, because that meant he couldn’t even vote for himself in an election. But rather than transfer his records from the Federal Capital Territory to Kogi State as prescribed in the Electoral Act 2010 (as Amended), Bello commandeered INEC officials to his Lokoja office on May 23rd, this year, for another registration. From the audacity in a snapshot of that exercise that has since gone viral, you could guess the governor cared scantly about the law he was violating, or perhaps thought INEC had no capacity to find him out.

    But the commission does have that capacity. And it is about time electoral offenders got to terms with the reality that the loophole of multiple registration, which was historically exploited to pervert the voting process in this country, has been blocked since 2011. With its backend aggregation and cross-matching of all voter data, the electoral body is technologically muscled to detect and staunch extra records of any registrant in its data bank.

    And so the commission, in its recent statement, confirmed the Kogi governor as an electoral offender. It as well disowned the registration staff that abetted him. “We wish to make it clear that no INEC staff was authorised by the commission to re-register him or any citizen, or to do so outside our designated CVR centres,” National Commissioner and chair of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Prince Solomon Soyebi, said. But while the commission marked its complicit staff for disciplinary action, its options regarding the offender governor were constrained by law. “Section 308 (l)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) precludes lNEC from prosecuting him while in office. However, the commission…has cancelled his second and illegal registration forthwith,” the statement declared.

    It was bad enough that INEC was hamstrung in making an example of a high profile offender like Mr. Governor – which again illustrates the downside of the preemptive immunity our statute book confers on certain public officers, even when they flagrantly break the law. What was galling was the sheer effrontery of Bello’s camp in seeking to justify his ignoble act. The governor’s team accused his adversaries of overplaying the incident, and they were perhaps right that foes had seized on the misadventure to upend his political capital, which he sadly provided them the ammunition to do.

    But that by no means conferred the camp a mandate to airbrush executive impunity as it did. Because if his spokesman rightly represented his thinking, Bello perhaps felt he did INEC a favour by shortcutting the painstaking process of voter transfer outlined in Section 13(1) – (4) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as Amended) to engage in double registration, and by doing that at Government House rather than a designated centre. “The governor’s effort to transfer his card from Abuja to Kogi State has not been successful, hence the need to get registered in Kogi State,” his Director of Media and Publicity, Fanwo Kingsley, said in a statement. “As governor of the state, Bello is the chief mover of government policies. He must always lead by example…to woo others to go and register. There was nothing wrong with registering in the Governor’s Office because it belongs to all Kogites. Government House is People’s House,” he added.

    The pedestrian logic of Government House as People’s House being a licence for impunity hacks back to the late Governor Barkin Zuwo of the Second Republic, who was reported to have stashed up raw currencies from the public treasury in the State House and was amazed at public consternation upon being found out, because it was merely government money in government house! But we could also ask by what kind of example the Kogi governor thought he was leading.

    Under INEC’s rules for issuing the Permanent Voter Card (PVC), multiple registration profits nothing because backend data aggregation by the commission invariably throws up the multiple records that get eliminated. The issue is: the frontend abuse that Bello role-modelled heavily bogs down its operations. With little time available before the 2011 elections, the electoral body weeded out 870,612 cases of multiple registration, using the Automated Fingerprints Identification (AFIS) software, to certify a register having some 73million voters on it. And after the elections, it removed about 4million cases more to certify a voter list with 68.8million registrants for the 2015 general election. Besides the time and enormous connectivity costs involved in cleaning out the multiple voter data, abusers needlessly clutter up and, in effect, prolong the registration process, and they hugely waste consumables deployed by the electoral body for the exercise. Remember: those consumables are funded from the public till.

    That is why I think the commission gave in too easily on making a conspicuous example of the Kogi governor, as would deter other offenders. True, he is immunised from prosecution by Section 308, but INEC could have gone ahead to file a symbolic holding charge against him pending whenever he leaves office and loses his constitutional immunity. Since His Excellency stooped to imperial lawlessness, the law should have a way of prepping for imperial sanction.

    For Abubakar Momoh

    What hope should we now have in health-conscious living, when you were fastidious about it with your life and yet death sneaked upon you in your high noon? What confidence should we have in erudition, when your sheer eminence was not sufficient to keep the cruel ambush of mortality at bay? What light should we see in radical courage, when your distinction therein was abruptly overwhelmed by the cowardly stealth of death? What store should we set by the force of life’s prime, when you were radiantly aglow one day, only to become a whisper in the next? If death required credentials for an appointment, you had none that could meet his possible specifications. But you are gone nonetheless. Adieu!

  • ‘How court’s closure aided fraudster’s escape from justice’

    Mrs Judith Obasi is a Port Harcourt-based lawyer. She speaks on her experiences, her dream of being a doctor, and what she would change in the legal profession if she had the powers. JOSEPH JIBUEZE met her

    What has been your most memorable experience as a lawyer?

    My most memorable experience was sometime in 2012 at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital. It was a case between GTBank and a customer. I was representing Gtbank, which was the defendant. I was going on with a particular witness, an empolyee of the bank in whom I had so much trust in. She was my star witness. I had drilled her and she seemed to be very ready for the case that day. I examined her in chief and left her for cross-examination by the claimant’s counsel. In the process, she revealed information which she hid from me and that affected my case to the point that we were non-suited. I was most embarrassed. I’ve not forgotten how I felt that day.

    What was your first day in court like?

    My first day in court as a lawyer was sometime in March 2008. I had just been called to Bar in November of the previous year and just went back home from Abuja. Then I got a hearing notice. My dad had been charged with an offence. I quickly went to see his lawyer then, Mr Emma Ukaegbu. On March 21, 2008, I felt proud and I am sure my dad did too, when his lawyer announced his appearance and he said: ‘Appearing with me is my learned friend, Miss J.C. Azubuike, the daughter of the first accused person.’ Of course, the people that took dad and my siblings to court, the complainants, were blown away. It felt great, and I was confident the charge would not stand as I understood the ingredients of the charge, and it didn’t. The case was struck out by a no-case submission and the accused persons were discharged and acquitted.

    Why did you choose law?

    When I lost the opportunity to study medicine, I knew the only other professional course I could do was law. I love reading and doing research and most of all I admired the dignity of the profession even as a teenager.

    What would you have been if not a lawyer?

    I would have been a medical doctor, and if the opportunity comes up, I could still grab it.

    Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

    I see myself running a successful law firm.

    What has been your most challenging case?

    It was a case of advance fee fraud. My client was defrauded by an internet scammer in the guise of selling him a car. Somehow, he got the wind of the activities of the thief from the bank and went to the police, who wrote to the bank and investigation commenced. Having established that the larger part of the money was still in bank and the bank is willing to release the amount in the account as it was placed on lien, we went to court under the undefended list procedure. But the motion was not taken for one year because the courts in Port harcourt were under lock and key following a crisis. Within this period, the police concluded their investigation. The bank lifted the lien and the scoundrel made away with all the money. When court resumed, we went back, involved the bank as a second party at the instance of the court, and went through hearing. The bank was absolved of liability and we got judgment against the thief who had been at large from inception. We have judgment, but how do we execute it? I felt very low.

    What major challenges did you face after Law School?

    The major challenge young lawyers face is poor salary. They come out from school hoping to make their parents proud, having spent so much on their education. They get attached to a firm as an associate and they have to appear neat and well dressed all the time – well groomed hair and good shoes, neat collarets, bibs, etc, but out of the blues, one senior will just say: ‘You don’t pay a lawyer. He/she makes his own money’. Oh really! What clients does he have to make money from? Who does he know? Where does he know? So the young lawyer goes on like that, and some begin to cut corners to make some money. They suffer financial lack till they get one good brief and this may take years. I suggest there should be a standard of payment for young lawyers as it is with medical doctors. This will go a long way to help boost the confidence and integrity of young lawyers.

    What other challenges do you want addressed?

    Secondly, the issue of getting appointments as magistrates or judges only in one’s state of origin is another challenge. A young lawyer comes out from school and relocates to another town and settles there, or gets married and lives with her husband in another town in Nigeria different from her state of origin. Yet they cannot get a job in the state’s judiciary because they are not from the state where they are residing. Meanwhile, when we were called, we were called to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. As such, we should be able to work in any state we find ourselves, whether or not we are indigenes. I think it should be looked into by the Judiciary and the Nigerian Bar.

    What will you like to change about the legal profession if you had the power?

    As I said above, if I had the power, every young lawyer should earn at least N75,000 from any capable law firm he or she joins as a green horn, because  they end up doing most of the work and usually end up with little or nothing, getting some of them discouraged and regretting why they studied law. Secondly, every lawyer should be able to work in the Ministry of Justice of the state where he or she lives in and should also be appointed a judge or magistrate in such town as long as he is qualified. I don’t need to go back to my state, Abia, to get appointment when I am already settled in Port Harcourt and my husband works in there. It will jeopardise the wellbeing of my family. Since I am called to the Nigerian Bar, I should be able to work anywhere in Nigeria.

    Tell us a bit more about yourself. What drives you – money or a sense of justice?

    I was called to Bar on November 13, 2007. I have practised both in a corporate setting as a legal officer of a financial institution and also in a law firm as an associate. As such, I have experienced law practice both as a solicitor and an advocate. I’ve had the opportunity to work with passionate and committed learned seniors, so I work with passion. I work hard and I have accurate speed. I am committed to my work, my clients and my cause. I am keen about getting justice than the money. Nevertheless, the money is good, but the goal is the satisfaction of my clients as much as it lies within me and within the ambit of the law.

    Who do you look up to in the profession (your mentors)?

    There are a lot of them, but when I started, I had Okey Amechi (SAN) and Mr Monday O. Ubani (Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Second Vice President), who is a relative, as my mentors. And there is also Mrs Miannaya Essien (SAN). She inspires me a lot now.

  • Youths seize suspected fraudster, kidnapper

    Two suspected fraudsters-cum-kidnappers were yesterday prevented from allegedly duping and abducting a girl, Jane Omaka, in Abia State.

    The victim told The Nation at Amakanma in Umuahia South Local Government the men carried her at old Umuahia when she flagged down their tricycle (keke NAPEP) heading for Isigate.

    She said she was surprised when they discussed gold and dollars, telling her they would make her rich.

    Jane said: “At that juncture, I knew they were fraudsters. They detoured to Ubakala and I shouted for help. They later allowed me to alight.

    “After coming down, I continued shouting that they were kidnappers and fraudsters. A commercial tricycle operator carried me and pursued them, accompanied by a commercial motorcyclist.

    “When they noticed that we were after them, one of the hoodlums alighted at Holy Trinity Cathedral Anglican Church, while the other continued until we caught up with him at Amakanma where he abandoned the tricycle escaped into the bush

    “Youths pursued the man and apprehended him. They beat him up.”

    The suspect, who gave his name as Emmanuel Ikpeama, said he hailed from Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government.

    He said he was a member of OBT and that they allowed the girl to alight when they found she had nothing valuable.

    Ikpeama gave the name of his cohort, who escaped, as Chukwuma.

    He said he did not know his surname, adding that he hailed from his area.

    Police spokesman Nta Ogbonnaya said he was not aware of the incident.

    The tricycle used by the suspects was registered as SSM 265, with association number 26001.

    It was vandalised by youths.

  • Police recover fake currencies from fraudster

    Police recover fake currencies from fraudster

    The police have arrested a 60-year-old man for allegedly duping a woman of N1.99million.

    Hyacinth Nwogu, 60, who lives at 7, Abimbola Street, College Road, Ifako Ijaiye, was apprehended after the victim, Helen Olajide, 28, filed a complaint against him at the station.

    The suspect was alleged to have collected the cash in instalments from the victim, a businesswoman, under the guise of supplying her goods.

    It was alleged that the suspect and his accomplices picked the woman up at Ikeja and took her to his residence where they first collected her Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and swindled her of N150,000.

    Narrating her ordeal, Olajide said: “I was standing at the bus stop waiting for a cab when their vehicle came close to me and they claimed that they knew me and that they were my customers. They told me they have a business for me and being a businesswoman, I decided to go with them.

    “One of them was speaking French and they claimed that they were importers and had a container loaded with computers, clothes, babies and other items in the warehouse. I picked interest on some of the items and wrote them down. They made me sign an agreement to pay money that they would go to Customs quarters and clear the goods.

    “At the house, they collected my ATM card and went to the bank and withdrew N150,000. The next payment I made was N900,000 cash on August 26 at Ikeja. Then, they gave me a Bank account number belonging to Chukwuma Eke Linda where I paid the other money. In all, I paid N1.992million. It was after paying that I asked myself what was happening. That I have been paying money into a particular account and I haven’t seen the goods.

    “Then, I called them to come and sign an agreement with my lawyer but they switched off their phones and started avoiding me. That was when I knew I have been duped. So, I reported at the police.

    “They didn’t show me anything about money and they didn’t tell me they wash money. Why would I fall for that if they told me? Are they Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)? What they told me was that they would supply me with goods.”

    But the suspect denied that he promised to supply goods to the victim, insisting that it was about producing fake currency.

    According to the father of five, the amount they collected from the young lady was a million naira and it was shared among the four culprits.

    He claimed that the vehicle they used in carrying the lady belonged to one of his accomplices, David, now at large, adding that the fake currencies found in his custody was given to him by a friend who retired from the business.

    He said: “David brought her to my house and we washed money in her presence. She picked interest in it. After washing N1000 for her, we told her about the need to get the chemicals and she was interested.

    “We first collected N700,000 and later N300,000 totalling N1,000,000 and we told her that she would get N5,000,000 in return.

    But when she didn’t get the money, nor see the chemical, she started demanding that we refund her money, by which time we had shared the money and the others had fled.

    “That was how she went and called the police and I was arrested. She’s the fourth person I have duped. I started the business four years ago after I was duped in the same manner. I was a clearing agent and I lost over N1.2 million in the same manner. I collected N20,000, N30,000 and N70,000 from the other victims.

    “What we use as chemical is coke and vegetable oil. It is not real chemical and I am not the owner of the fake currencies. I took them from a friend who retired from the business and I was doing them. We call the fake notes treasures and it’s what we use to deceive people.

    “Everything happened within a week. She visited my house about four times. My share of the money was N333,000. We didn’t use any drug on her. It was conviction.

    We show a client the money claiming its treasure. She gave me real money.

    “I hid it under a bucket containing detergent. My wife and five children live with me but they don’t know that’s what I do.

    I would not be happy if someone dupes any of my children.”

    Parading the suspect, the police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP) said he would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation, adding that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing suspects.