The Nation Newspaper

Tag: impersonates

  • Engineer ‘impersonates’ gospel artiste Lara George

    A 24-year-old computer engineer, Ayodeji Folarin, was yesterday arraigned at an Ikeja High Court for allegedly impersonating a popular gospel artiste, Lara George, and defrauding three Americans of $8,500.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Folarin is facing a four-count charge of obtaining money by false pretences and possession of documents containing false pretence.

    The charges were prefered against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The defendant of 2, Folarin Street, Obada Oko in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecuting counsel Temitope Banjo said the defendant defrauded the foreigners between January and December 2016 in Ikeja, Lagos.

    “While posing as Lara George and with the intent to defraud, he obtained $8,500 from Trevor Dawe, Rick Cuewo and Stephen Wilson who are all citizens of the United States of America.

    “On June 2018, Folarin had in his possession, a World Lottery Organisation Winning Certificate and Affidavit of Common Law Marriage which all contained false pretenses.

    “The defendant also had in his possession emails containing false pretenses,” Banjo said.

    Following Folarin’s plea, his defence counsel, Mr Samuel Shodipo, requested that bail be granted to the defendant in the most liberal terms.

    The vacation judge, Justice Obafemi Adamson, ordered that the defendant be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons.

     

  • Man ‘impersonates’ Senator Ubah

    •Job seekers fleeced on Facebook

    Detectives attached to Area ‘D’ Command in Mushin, Lagos State, have arrested a man, Joel Asabor, for allegedly impersonating Senator Andy Ubah.

    Asabor, it was gathered, posed on Facebook as the senator representing Anambra South and fleeced job seekers who applied to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    The suspect was reportedly trailed to Oghara in Delta State on Monday, where he was apprehended.

    Asabor was said to have opened a Facebook account with Ubah’s picture, where he had private chats with job hunters and asked them to pay a certain amount of money to get their dream jobs.

    His trailing, it was gathered, followed a petition by Charles Asugha on behalf of a victim, Chinelo Nnedimma, who lost N300,000 to the suspected fraudster.

    It was learnt that having paid N300,000 to the suspect’s bank account and the job was not forthcoming, the victim was directed to contact a supposed lawmaker, identified simply as Nkiruka, for further discussions.

    A source said the victim was swindled last December, adding that the police only got involved due to the petition.

    He said: “The victim paid N300,000 through the bank account of Asabor Joel (3069996606). She was promised employment in NNPC. But after collecting the money, he (Asabor) started playing pranks with the victim. He gave the victim the mobile number of a certain lawmaker, Nkiruka, which was another ploy to swindle the victim the more.”

     

  • Transporter ‘impersonates’ policeman

    A transporter, Victory Okoteye, who allegedly impersonated a police officer and stole a Volkswagen bus worth N800,000 was on Friday brought before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    After pleading not guilty, Magistrate O. Sule-Amzat granted him N50,000 bail.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Ihiehie Lucky told the court that the offence was committed sometime in January last year at 13, Araromi Street, Bariga.

    He said the complainant, a commercial driver, came to Ogudu Police Station to report a case of stealing, adding: “The complainant said that sometime in the month of January 2016 at the above mentioned address, the accused stole his Volkswagen bus marked XN 234 AAA.

    “All efforts to trace the accused and the bus failed until May 23, 2016 information reached him that the vehicle is at a mechanic workshop at Lawanson in Surulere.

    “The complainant went there and saw his vehicle but the mechanic said that the man who deposited the bus with them came from Alara Street, Iwaya, Lagos.

  • Teacher ‘impersonates’ Fashola’s, Aregbesola’s wives

    Teacher ‘impersonates’ Fashola’s, Aregbesola’s wives

    A teacher, Mrs Victoria Abosede Asogbon, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly impersonating the wives of Lagos and Osun state governors, Mrs Abimbola Fashola and Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola.

    In a 10-count charge filed by Lagos State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr Ade Ipaye, Asogbon (53), was alleged to have at various times, presented herself as Mrs Fashola and Mrs Aregbesola.

    The prosecutor, Mr Babatunde Sunmonu, alleged that Mrs Asogbon, through text messages to some individuals, collected huge sums of money and Ramadan gifts from them under the guise of being either Mrs Fashola or Mrs Aregbesola.

    The defendant, was alleged to have fraudulently collected N100,000 from the Chairman of Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Government, Lagos State, after sending him a text that she was sent to collect the money by Mrs Fashola. She was said to have also collected three Blackberry phones worth N105,000 from him under the same guise.

    She was also alleged to have sent a similar text to the Education Secretary of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, Isaac Omoregie.

    The woman allegedly secured redeployment from the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) in Alimosho, to the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board through a text purportedly sent to its chairman, Mrs Gbolahan Khadijat Daudu, by Mrs Fashola.

    Sunmonu told the court that Mrs Asogbon, a Grade 10 officer, at another time, claimed to be a sister to Mrs Aregbesola through a text in an attempt to defraud another person, simply identified as Mrs Gbolahan.

    The prosecution said the offences were contrary to and punishable under Sections 378, 312 and 96 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2011. Mrs Asogbon pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Mrs Eniola Fabanwo granted her bail for N1million, with two sureties in the like sum.

    Mrs Asogbon was asked to deposit N250,000 with the court as part of the bail conditions. Her trial was adjourned till September 2.

  • Couple ‘impersonates’ NAFDAC official

    The Ondo State Police Command has dragged Mr Fredrick Famiyesin and his wife, Ayobami, to an Akure Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly impersonating an official of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC).

    They were accused of defrauding people, particularly in Okitipupa Local Government Area, of millions of naira under the guise of helping them secure employment with the agency.

    They were granted N500,000 bail each, with sureties who must be civil servants not lower than Grade 12, with landed property in Akure.

    The husband was alleged to have presented his wife as NAFDAC’s new Assistant Director in the state to Mr Anthony Oluwadamilola Ogungbemi, sometimes April last year, with an assurance to get him a job at the agency.

    At their second appearance yesterday, the suspects were not present because they were “critically ill.”

    The police prosecutor, Isah Atanegbe and NAFDAC’s lawyer, B. Simeon, asked the court to issue bench warrant against the couple to answer the charges.

    Mrs Famiyesin’s counsel, Jide Italoye, said his client was hospitalised at Okitipupa, while her husband’s lawyer, Oladapo Ekundaisi, said he had an accident and was referred to the Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital (OATH), Ile-Ife, Osun State, for chest scanning.

    The Presiding Magistrate, Mr Akin Akintoye, adjourned the case till August 21. He ordered the counsel to bring the suspects’ medical reports.