Posted by By Doyin Adebusuyi, Ilorin on
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested two persons for allegedly duping a businessman of N175, 000, and also being in possession of fake foreign currencies.
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested two persons for allegedly duping a businessman of N175, 000, and also being in possession of fake foreign currencies.
The suspects were arrested by the policemen on Friday in front of the Ilorin office of the Central Bank of Nigeria while trying to escape.
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Iinvestigation Department, Alhaji Lanre Jimoh, one of the suspects had proposed constructing a filling station to the businessman, Mr. Tajudeen Olola, and later the business of duplicating dollars.
Our correspondent gathered that one of the suspects, who claimed to be from Ibadan, in Oyo State, had approached Olola on August 1 for the amount to construct a filling station for his brother who is abroad with a promise to refund the loan in dollars.
To convince Olola, he reportedly dropped a telephone number belonging to his brother abroad with Olola for him to confirm the authenticity of the contract.
Olola said after speaking with the owner of the telephone number, he was convinced that the business was genuine and approached a friend of his in Minna, Niger State, for the money.
He added, 'Because I did not have the money, I had to approach one of my friends in Minna who paid the money into my account and I asked him (one of the suspects) to go and cash it with a promise to refund it tomorrow (Saturday)."
Olola said on arrival as promised, the suspects told him to stay in the car while they would make arrangements with somebody at the CBN to convert the notes to naira.
'But I said no, as I was following them, they were shouting ‘wait, wait, don't come' but I insisted to follow them to the CBN. Immediately they noticed that I was coming, they started running and I raised the alarm leading to their arrest."
During separate interviews with the suspects, the one who claimed to be from Ibadan, said he was forced into crime because of joblessness.