BELGIUM BASED BUSINESSMAN REMINDS FOR CURRENCY COUNTERFEITING

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, July 6, 2017 arraigned one Jonathan Isikwei , a Belgium based businessman,before Justice M. B. Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a 15-count charge bordering on possession of counterfeit currencies to the tune of CAD $17,500  and USD $14,300

The defendant, Isikwei, was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on September 18, 2015 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos for unlawful possession of 448 pieces of traveler cheques, while he was aboard a Lufthansa airline to Brussels, Belgium.

He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC for investigation and prosecution.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, Jonathan Odu Isikwei on or about the 18th day of September, 2015 at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court had, in your possession, negotiable instrument of Postbank Frankfurt with registration number 29734, knowing it to be counterfeit and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 5 (1) (b) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, Cap C35, Vol.4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
Another count reads:

“That you, Jonathan Odu Isikwei, on or about the 18th day of September, 2015 at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court had, in your possession, negotiable instrument of Gunnebo Canada Inc., with registration number 152501 and value of CAD $3, 500 (Three Thousand,  Five Hundred Canadian Dollars), knowing it to be counterfeit and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 5 (1) (b) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, Cap C35, Vol. 4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, George G. Chia-Yakua, asked the court for a date to commence trial.

In response, Isikwei’s counsel, Oludare Falana, while moving a motion dated June 28, 2017, urged the court to admit his client to bail.
Falana also prayed the court to remand his client in the EFCC custody pending the ruling on the application.

The prosecuting counsel, in a counter- affidavit dated July 4, 2017 opposed the application and urged the court to remand the defendant in prison custody.
Justice Idris adjourned to July 7, 2017 for ruling on the bail application and ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison custody.

"HOW I EMBARKED ON THE IDEA OF DEFRAUDING THE FIRST FAMILY"~~EX-POLICE OFFICER

Charles Abam,36, a former police sergeant,  who is now being held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for attempting to defraud the children of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Abam, after being jobless since 2003 when he lost his job as a policeman, he found out he could make a lot of money by defrauding influential Nigerians.

The suspect allegedly got hold of the phone number of a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, whom he contacted by impersonating Mrs. Daisy Danjuma, wife of Gen. T.Y. Danjuma.


The indigene of Ndukwa East, Delta State, told investigators after he was tracked down and apprehended by the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, that he quitted his police post in 2003 after being enticed by a chance to travel abroad.

He said, “When I had an opportunity to travel out of the country I left my duty post and went on to process my documents, but I was defrauded and I lost all my money.

“I went back to my police job but I was told that I had been declared a deserter. I begged to be reinstated but was not taken back. I then began to look for work. I also applied for a bank security job but did not get it.”

A source at the IRT told Saturday PUNCH that in April 2017, Abam sent an SMS to the said APC chieftain, asking for the phone numbers of the President’s children.

The chieftain was said to have replied the SMS that she did not have the phone numbers of the President’s children but sent that of the elder brother of First Lady, Aisha, thinking she was communicating with  Daisy Danjuma.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that Abam again contacted the First Lady’s brother by SMS, asking for the phone numbers of the President’s children.

The police said he eventually got the phone numbers of the President’s children, whom he sent messages, again impersonating Danjuma” to asking them to present five names for a phantom job with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

When the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris was notified of the suspected fraudulent activities of Abam, the IRT was tasked with tracking him down.

Members of the First Family were said to have played along and sent some names and phone numbers to the suspected fraudster.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that eight names, which were provided by the police, were eventually sent to Abam and his accomplice, Felix Machi.



“The suspect then pretended to be officials of the NDLEA and called the phone number that had been sent to him. He asked them to pay a certain amount of money to a bank account, which would be payment for their kits during their training exercise. But no payment was made to the accounts,” our correspondent was told by the police source.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that Abam was tracked down through the details of his bank account which he told his supposed victims to pay into.

 The suspect, who also led operatives to arrest his accomplice, Machi, said he regrets his action.

According to him, his fraudulent activities started in 2014 after his unsuccessful attempts to find a job.

He said, “I started with internet fraud but I was not making enough money. Then, I went into local fraud. One of my friends, known as Mike, taught me how to impersonate people in order to get phone numbers of prominent politicians.

“Sometimes I also paid to get the phone numbers. I later met Felix (Machi), who became my partner. Before I attempted to defraud the president’s children, I had defrauded many politicians by pretending to be a kidney disease patient.

“I told some politicians that I needed financial help for a kidney transplant and many of them sent money to me. I got N70,000 from a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly,EmekaObinna, the Commissioner for Lands in Delta State and he gave me N50,000.

“One Senator Ahmed Kamoni, gave me N150,000 while another member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, ObinnaUzor, gave me N50,000. I also got N50,000 from Senator Ahmed Yerima. Even the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejefor, gave me N100,000.

“I also got N100,000 from the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Aniofor Udo andN5,500 from a former Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Daniel Abia.”

Abam said he gave 10 per cent of all the money he made from his kidney transplant fraud to Machi.

According to him, he only decided they needed to up their game recently when he broached the idea of defrauding the First Family to Machi.

He said he got the phone number of the APC chieftain from the APC Chairman in Delta State, Prophet Enu, by impersonating the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

Abam said, “Eventually, when I contacted the President’s children and they sent me the eight names, I realised the candidates were not cooperating. I knew something had gone wrong when I started receiving calls from people threatening to arrest me.

“I decided to destroy my phones and sim cards. I thought there was no way I could be tracked without them. But I was surprised when the police showed up at my house on Saturday and arrested me.”

The police authorities at the headquarters have said Abam and his accomplice would be charged to court as soon as investigation into the extent of their operation was complete.

PHOTOS: NDLEA ARRESTS TWO GRANDMOTHER @ LAGOS AIRPORT OVER DRUG TRAFFICKING !

Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled attempts by two grandmothers to smuggle illicit narcotic drugs to New York, United States, and Medina in Saudi Arabia.


The spokesman for the anti-narcotics agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the suspects ingested 108 wraps of substances that tested positive for heroin and cocaine. The two grandmothers were nabbed during a screening of passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. According to the NDLEA’s spokesman, the grandmothers blamed their attempt at drug trafficking on financial hardship.

A preliminary investigation by NDLEA revealed that this was the first time a grandmother of 60 years ingested a whopping 83 wraps of narcotics. One of the suspects was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia where drug trafficking attracts capital punishment. According to an NDLEA officer, the woman’s arrest in Lagos has perhaps saved her from facing the death penalty had she been caught in Saudi Arabia.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, gave the names of the suspected drug traffickers as Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy, aged 60, found to have ingested 83 wraps of heroin weighing 1.105kg, and Amodu Ayisat Grace, 59, who swallowed 25 wraps of cocaine weighing 275 grams. Ms. Mercy was headed for New York City whilst Ms. Grace on her way to
Saudi Arabia.

“Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy was arrested while boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York while Amodu Ayisat Grace was caught trying to board an Ethiopian airline flight on her way to Medina, Saudi Arabia. The cases are under investigation,” said the NDLEA’s Ahmadu Garba.

Ms. Mercy, who owns a small provisions store in Ikorodu, Lagos, reportedly told agents who arrested her that drug trafficking was an afterthought. She also allegedly claimed to be divorced from her husband. An NDLEA source quoted the woman as stating that an old friend of hers pushed her into drug trafficking.

“I am a divorcee selling provision for survival. Things became rough and tough for me when I lost my capital due to family problems. It has been my dream to travel to the United States in search of greener pastures. My involvement in drug trafficking was an afterthought,” she reportedly said. The suspect, who hails from Kogi State, added: “My intention when I got my visa last year was to go and work to take care of my needs without being a burden to anyone. Everything changed suddenly when I met an old friend at a party. They took care of my travel expenses and gave me $3,000 with a promise to assist me secure a job in the United States.

“It was [a] few hours to my journey that they brought the drugs for me to swallow. They said that it was my contribution for the kindness and money spent on my trip, but it turned out to be my biggest mistake.”

Amodu Ayisat Grace

NDLEA officers said the other suspect, Ms. Grace, told investigators that, as a Muslim, she was glad to travel to Saudi Arabia. “I was happy when they offered to sponsor my trip to Saudi Arabia, but I never knew it would end in my detention,” she reportedly told NDLEA operatives. The anti-narcotics agency also quoted her as stating, “I sell fufu (cassava flour) to take care of my four children as a widow and this has been very challenging.

“They enticed me with a visit to Saudi Arabia and a handsome reward and I fell for the trick,” she said. The Lagos-born suspect added, “I only swallowed 25 wraps of the drug. Unfortunately I could not get to Saudi Arabia because of my arrest.”

NDLEA chairman/Chief Executive, Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (ret.), said that it was shocking and shameful for grandmothers to be involved in drug trafficking.

“This move by drug cartels to recruit grandmothers as mules is very disturbing, shocking and shameful. The moral emptiness exhibited by the suspects must be condemned by all. A situation where grandmothers have become a bad influence on their children and grandchildren is highly regrettable,” said Mr. Abdallah.