Fraudster in police net for swindling victim N1.7 m
By MATTHEW DIKE

Thursday, September 3, 2009
Police operatives in Lagos have arrested a suspected member of international fraud syndicate, who swindled a victim the sum of N1.7 million. Police detectives from Apapa Division were said to have nabbed Olusegun Ojo,42, at a popular Fast Food Outlet in Ikeja area of the metropolis.




http://odili.net/news/source/2009/sep/3/508.html

Ojo was alleged to have gone to wait for the victim, identified simply as Akpan, to collect extra $ 30,000, before he was rounded up.

Akpan, a civil engineer, alleged that a woman, who identified herself on phone as Toyin Solaya, (real name Rose), had told him how someone gave her his phone number. He said the woman claimed she was living in the United Kingdom.

The woman was alleged to have claimed working for former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his late wife,Stella. Rose was also said to have lied that a popular pastor in Lagos, owed her the sum of $45 million which she gave to him to enable him establish his fast growing church.

Akpan alleged that the woman claimed she wanted to build a large oil depot in the country and would require large expanse of land for that purpose. He disclosed that the woman also told him to inspect a land in Calabar, Cross River state, with the assistance of her agent, Christian.

The victim narrated how he traveled from Lagos to Calabar, only to be told that the land belonged to a certain company. The victim further explained that Rose later told him to inquire about it, adding that he took the matter to the traditional ruler of Calabar (Obong) .

The Obong allegedly told him that he (Obong) would invite the family later to inquire about the land.

The engineer said he was planning to go back to Calabar, after spending some time in Lagos, when Rose called him again to tell him not to worry and promised to send $200 million to him from the United Kingdom. The female fraudster allegedly told him she would send the money through China, to Ghana, to prevent Nigerian fraudsters from intercepting it.

Rose was said to have advised the victim to prepare his International passport as he would soon be traveling to Ghana to collect the money from a Cargo Company.

The victim said he took his bossom friend, Chuks, to Ghana, adding that a man, who presented himmself as a Chief Security Officer of the company, identified as James, picked them from Ghana Airport to the company.

At the Cargo Company, the fraudsters asked him to pay the sum of $ 7,600. He said after paying the money in Cedes, he informed Rose on phone of the payment.

The victim said when they brought parcel, it turned out to be a golden box filled with fake $200 million. The woman asked the victim to negotiate with the company and one of them, who claimed to be a staff of the company advised him to pay 5 per cent of the $200 million.

He said the woman told him to try and raise the money, since he would also be a beneficiary.

He said he came to Nigeria in search of some money, but to no avail. The fake Chief Security Officer of the company, later called him on phone to inform him that he would assist him to provide the sum of $40,000. Yet, the victim said he could not raise the $60,000.

The woman called the victim on phone again, claiming to be suffering from heart attack, adding that a man she identified as Mohammed, from Cameroon, would bring the sum of $30,000 to him.

James was said to have called to inform the victim that one Mohammed had brought another $30,000 to the company.

The same woman also called the victim to inform him that she would send her brother to travel to Syria to collect the money and that the victim would be responsible for the travel expenses, including airfare.

But instead of the brother, another man, who introduced himself as Mr. Cole called the victim with the first phone number the woman used earlier in communicating with him (victim).Cole claimed to be working with the said company in its Nigerian Branch. Cole told him that as a fellow Nigerian, he had volunteered to assist in clearing the goods from Ghana port.

The victim said Cole later suggested that they met at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja. But the victim suggested that they met at Durbar Hotel, Festac, Savannah Hotel, Apapa, or somewhere on Oba Akran Road,Ikeja. But Cole later chose a popular Fast Food Outlet at Toyin street, Ikeja.

The victim, who had realised that he was dealing with fraudsters alerted the Divisional Police Officer of Apapa Police station, Mohammed Ali. He disclosed that Ali immediately gave him some police detectives, who accompanied him to the Fast Food to arrest Cole (Olusegun Ojo).

Ojo, who hails from Ondo State, denied being a fraudster. The suspect said Rose was his neighbour at Sunny Oyekunle Street, Anthony village. He also claimed to be an estate agent, who was told by Rose to sell a property to the victim.The suspect also claimed it was Rose, who gave him the phone number of the victim.” I have my office in my residence. I have a property to sell at Apapa. I only invited him for a genuine business. I don’t know if they duped him $7,600. I have a wife and seven children,”Ojo said.

A police source told Daily Sun that the suspect represented the syndicate in Nigeria. He said Ojo came to the Fast Food joint to take part of the money, unknown to him that the victim had suspected a foul play and alerted the police. “ He came to collect the balance of the money and was arrested,” the police source said.

Aloy~Emeka:

I wonder how they will do it if they need to marshal 40 criminals. Employ a special police to draw the board with[b] chalk[/b].

Afam:

Majority (if not all) 419 victims are plain stupid, lazy and greedy.

When greed takes over the thinking faculty of a human being he/she begins to reason with the left leg.

The victims usually hope for easy or quick money and when they realize the money isn't coming they begin to complain.

People should use their brains to analyse business proposals or ask others when in doubt.

Personally, I don't have any sympathy for these so called victims and have wondered why they are not also treated as partners in crime instead of calling them victims.

Aloy~Emeka:

Its not every 419 victim that is stupid. Con men come in different shades of gray.

Afam:

Majority (if not all) 419 victims are plain stupid, lazy and greedy.

Aloy~Emeka:

Its not every 419 victim that is stupid. Con men come in different shades of gray.

babasoty:

please help me out here is there an offence like 419 or it refers to a section in our criminal code that deals with advance fee fraud,the police are getting me dumbfounded on that one.