THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said it has arrested a fake muslim cleric, Mallam Abdulrashid Imam over allegations bordering on fraud to the tune of N3million naira and $24,000 United States dollars.
The commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement signed by him disclosed that the arrest followed petition by Mohammed Dewu.
According to the statement, Dewu alleged that the fake cleric in October, fraudulently collected money from him claiming to have the supernatural ability to impact Qur’anic knowledge on him through the aid of Jinns (spirits).
EFCC’s statement read that the petitioner claimed that the suspect induced him to purchase two number of bottle perfume at N70,000 each, one bottle of special perfume at N160,000; a bottle of perfume for the treatment of his mother’s leg at N550,000.
The statement further read that the petitioner was made to pay for a set of 60 perfumes to activate the Qur’anic verses that will be implanted into his brain by spiritual means at N1,680,000, two mobile phones and SIM cards at N20,000 and thirty buckets of honey that will enable him transfer the Qur’anic verses to his brain at N900,000.
Dewu also alleged that the Abdulrashid compelled him to pay the sum of $24,000 for prayers to neutralize the forces preventing from getting a plum appointment which the government had planned for him.
EFCC disclosed that upon the arrest of the suspect, a fake blank Qur’an and keys to the room he had been using to con the victim were recovered.
“So far in the investigation, three houses in Kano state, reasonably suspected to be proceeds of fraud have been linked to the suspect,” the statement added.
The Antigraft agency also said that an EFCC prosecuted Man was sentenced for N32m Fraud in Lagos Ikeja.
Uwujaren said the convict, Oseni Iyere was found guilty on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N32m.
Noting the court ruling, the commission’s statement read, “That you, Oseni Iyere, between the months of March 2016 and May, 2016 , within the Ikeja Judicial Division, dishonestly converted for your own use the sum of N17, 164,000( Seventeen Million , One Hundred and Sixty- Four Thousand Naira) property of Terry christa Energy Nigeria Limited entrusted with you for the purchase of petroleum products”.
EFCC noted that although the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against him, he was found guilty by the sitting judge on the case, Mojisola Dada.
Dada sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment on counts one and two, and two years on counts two and three which will run concurrently.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94