The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a suspected fraudster, Adekunle Balogun, aka Malan Salihu, for alleged fraudulent dealings involving $1m.
The 44-year-old Ordinary Diploma certificate holder in Textile and Polymer Technology was picked up by the EFCC in Lagos for allegedly defrauding one Precious Emelue of N100m.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said the suspect deceived Emelue into believing that he would assist him in retrieving $1m from a Pakistani bank: Kan-Cern Limited, which payment was allegedly stopped by the International Monetary Fund.
Uwujaren said, “Emelue claimed that in 2012, he met one Mr. Perry Kandoharty, a diplomat with the Pakistani High Commission in Lagos. In the course of their discussions, Emelue told Kandoharty that he was widely experienced in deep sea fishing. After much deliberation, they both agreed to work together on a business. Emelue would provide land for a fish processing factory in Nigeria and space for the development of fish ponds.
“Emelue claimed that Kandoharty sent him a mail informing him of a deposit of $1m into Kan -Cern Limited. It was this fund, allegedly stopped by IMF, which Balogun made him believe he could pull out for him.”
It was gathered that Balogun allegedly obtained money in different instalments from Emelue to obtain certificates from “authorities” handling drug, anti-terrorism and money laundering issues.
“The suspect is also alleged to have impersonated the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, and used his name to extort money from his victm,” Uwujaren added.
However, in his statement to the EFCC, Balogun denied that he impersonated the EFCC boss.
He said, “I didn’t call myself Lamorde. What I told him was that Lamorde was a lion and I was the only tiger that could approach him.”
It was learnt that several items were recovered from Balogun during a search of his house. They included documents bearing the names of the Department of State Service, Central Bank of Nigeria, and some insurance companies.
Uwujaren said Balogun would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.
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