Posted by By JULIANA FRANCIS on
A 500 level student of University of Lagos, posing as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Nuhu Ribadu, has milked a gullible American of a whopping $750,000 (about N97,125,000). The crook, Chima Larry Ikonji, has however, landed in EFCC net.
A 500 level student of University of Lagos, posing as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Nuhu Ribadu, has milked a gullible American of a whopping $750,000 (about N97,125,000). The crook, Chima Larry Ikonji, has however, landed in EFCC net.
The American, Mr William Ellison, had reported to the EFCC that for close to two years Ikonji had been collecting varying amounts of money from him via the Western Union Money Transfer on the pretext that he was Nuhu Ribadu. He claimed to have lost more than 750,000 dollars to Ikonji, but the suspect said he collected $29,500 only from the victim.
Daily Sun gathered that Ikonji got his claws into Ellison, who is based in the United States, when he sent the American an email claiming to be the chairman of EFCC, Mr Nuhu Ribadu and has over 450 million U.S. dollars he wished to lodge in Ellison's bank account for safe keeping.
One of the detectives investigating the case told Daily Sun that "the suspect, through email and phone calls, introduced the second suspect, Blessing Onochie, his fiancée to Ellison as his secretary. Ikonji told the man that as the chairman of the commission, he did not want such amount of money to be found on him. The American agreed to assist him. Obviously, there was an agreement of percentage for him.
"Ikonji later asked him to send some money which he would use to get some certificates and other things that would facilitate the clearing and sending of the money. That was how he started collecting money from the man."
Ikonji, a young man in his early 30s and his fiancée spoke with Ellison on phone severally.
The party, however, came to an end for the duo when Onochie, as usual, walked into the Oceanic Bank at Lawanson Lagos and attempted to pick 1, 000 dollars and 3, 000 dollars, respectively sent by Ellison. The bank cashier suspected foul play when he discovered that another lady had also come to claim the money meant for one Rosemary Nwanni.
It was gathered that Onochie had identified herself with a driver's licence, while the other lady, identified as Sule Stella Laurenta of the Olabisis Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, presented an international passport. They were both handed over to the EFCC.
Through interrogation, Onochie revealed the name of Ikonji who was later held. EFCC operatives called Ellison who told them he thought he had been dealing with Nuhu Ribadu of the EFCC.
Ikonjo, who was not ready to go to jail without a fight, said ‘Ellison was telling the story in the wrong way. According to him, Ellison had been like a godfather to him and Blessing Onochie. He said he first made contact with the man when Blessing had an accident and needed a surgery, revealing that the man took pity on them and started sending them money, beginning with the one for Blessing's surgery and treatment.
The only person who did not fit into the jigsaw puzzle was Lauretta, who told EFCC detectives that her best friend's boyfriend, identified simply as Wale, had approached her in school to assist him collect some money through Western Union.
Lauretta, 24, a 200 level undergraduate, followed Wale to Lagos and went to the bank while the man waited outside. Detectives reckoned that Wale bolted when the lady took too long to come out.
Detectives are working on the theory that Wale is a member of Ikonji and Onochie's gang, who decided to play a fast one by going to cash the money for himself through a proxy.
The EFCC spokesman, Mr Osita Nwajah, said Ellison had forwarded to the commission mails sent by Ikonji in which he claimed to be Nuhu Ribadu. He said that no one has an excuse for falling prey to advance fee fraudsters, popularly known as 419 because so much information, through advertisements, had been issued to warn people about con men.
"We have adverts in different languages. We have leaflets and billboards everywhere. If you are not sure about anything, ask someone, find out how to reach EFCC and verify information. This does not have to do with Nuhu Ribadu alone, but people should beware of big profit business investment. You want to make big profit where you put little things. It doesn't work that way," Nwajah said.