By A 30-year-old man identified as Fidelis Poor has been arrested by the Kwara State Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding the Emir of Okuta, Idris Abubakar to the tune of N33,399,999.
The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, disclosed that the suspect as well as co-conspirators convinced the traditional ruler that he had a container of goods that will help in the development of the community.
According to the EFCC, the suspect told the Emir who happens to be a former Reps member, that the container was awaiting clearance at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, and asked the traditional ruler to pay some money to secure its release.
“In a petition dated November 30, 2021, HRH Abubakar, who is the Emir of Okuta in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State and a former member of the House of Representatives, alleged that a group of fraudsters who operate as syndicate called him on phone sometime last year that he had a container to clear in Abuja and requested for the said amount for clearance,” the statement said.
“The caller requested for the said amount of money to clear the container at the airport. He provided different accounts for the Emir to pay the money into, one of which included that of Fidelis Poor.”
The anti-graft agency further revealed that the monarch was later asked to contact one “Evangelist Rosemary” for handing over of the container, but all efforts made by him to get the goods or get his money back were ineffective.
Upon getting the alert, the EFCC said it commenced an which led to the suspect’s arrest, adding that the suspect would be arraigned at the end of the investigation as efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate.
