Posted by By Henry Chukwurah, Port Harcourt on
A man who called himself a pastor has been held by the police in Port Harcourt following allegations that a businesswoman had been duped of N2.4million.
A man who called himself a pastor has been held by the police in Port Harcourt following allegations that a businesswoman had been duped of N2.4million.
Thirty-eight-year-old Emeka Ekwuonye was picked up at Rumuaholu village when the victim blew the lid off their illicit deals.
Police sources told Daily Sun that the man who had been arrested twice in the past for similar offences but escaped prosecution on each occasion is a member of one of the three syndicates based in Rumuaholu, a Port Harcourt suburb.
The syndicates were identified as Doctor's group, Adolphus group and Ulunne group. Emeka who confessed that he joined the business in 1999, is of Doctor's group.
It was gathered that recently, the businesswoman (name withheld) was returning from where she made some supplies when she boarded a bus occupied by the crooks.
The woman told police detectives that while on their way, a lady in the vehicle who, unknown to her, was a member of the syndicate suddenly went hysterical, confessing that she had duped a man who she said she suspected, had cast a spell on her.
The businesswoman later advised that the lady be taken to any spiritual church for prayers. At that point, one of the men offered to talk to a pastor who could be of help.
Moved by the lady's pleas with the woman not to abandon her, being a fellow woman, the businesswoman agreed to accompany them to the pastor's place. That singular act of sympathy was to be her greatest undoing.
At the pastor's place which she later found out, was a den of con men, a voice said to be that of a spirit, ‘revealed' all that was wrong with the troubled lady.
Thereafter, attention was focused on the businesswoman and the ‘pastor' hit her with a ring and ordered her to hand over all her money then go for more if she valued her life.
After losing her money, the woman later realised what had happened to her and complained to the police who consequently raided the hideout of the syndicates.
Although most of the suspects fled, Emeka, the fake pastor was arrested before he could scale the fence. Police investigation later revealed that the conmen buried a long pole that stretched out into the nearby bush from where somebody was talking like a spirit.
An unrepentant Emeka was later to describe victims of 419 syndicates as 'mugu" who fall victim because of their greed.
Reminding his interrogators that there is no known Nigerian law that permits private minting of money, the suspect said he and his ilk were only smart guys exploiting those desperate to make quick wealth.
'When mugu don fall, guy man don waka," he said.
Detectives are still on the trail of the fleeing suspects.