The men of the Ogun State police command on Monday arrested four members of a fraud syndicate who allegedly duped a couple of N14.5m.
The suspects Shehu Salam, Mrs. Risikat Oriyomi, Mrs. Sola Babalola and Wasiu Ajani, who’s physically challenged, were arrested at their den located at Omusorin village, in Obafemi/ Owode local government area of the state.
The 5th suspect who’s said to be the ring leader, one Baba Awotola, fled when the men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad closed in on them at their den.
Ajani, a native of Ilorin, Kwara State, who claimed to be an Islamic cleric, got the couple into the net of the syndicate.
The state police commissioner, Mr. Ikemefuna, who led the police team to the fraudster’s shrine used as their operational base on Tuesday, said Ajani was used to lure the couple, who are rice merchants, into the syndicate’s net.
He (Ajani) was said to have used the name of a late popular Islamic cleric, Alfa Bulala, to hoodwink the victims.
Ikemefuna explained that, Ajani on the fateful day dressed in Islamic cassock and hung about 9 different praying rosaries on his neck, accosted the couple around Owode Onirin, Lagos, and gave them a revelation of a problem before them which needed to be warded off through special prayers.
He said, “The suspect also told them to buy a measure of salt and give it as alms to three beggars.
He later told husband to buy a local egg, and used it to pray, circling it around his head three times.”
According to him, Ajani later used the egg as a bait to lure the couple to their den, where they began to swindle them.
He got the wife’s telephone number, and through it, he called the couple to bring the egg to their den for a special prayer.
The couple who pleaded anonymity said the syndicate under the pretence of warding off the evil before them collected N14.5m in three instalments from them.
According to the couple, the syndicate used the two women, Risiqat and Sola as ‘white witches’ who claimed to offer prayers to ward off evils .
The ‘witches’ who claimed to have descended from ‘heaven’ reportedly said they needed money to fly back to ‘heaven.’
Speaking with journalists, Ajani said he got the information about the couple from the fleeing Baba Awotola.
He said, “It was Baba Awotola who introduced me to this shady business. He asked me whether I want to die a wretched man. He was the one who gave the information that the couple had a problem and that they are a bit comfortable. He promised me a car and a sum of N300,000, but he only gave me and Shehu N100,000 each.”
The ‘witches’ claimed they got N5,000 each for each visitation.
Ikemefuna warned residents to be wary of fraudsters who parade themselves as clerics.
He urged the people to report any shady activities in their communities to the police, for prompt intervention.
The police boss, however, said the suspects had confessed that they were involved in the scam.
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