RETIRED ARMY COLONEL PARADED FOR CAR THEFT AND FRAUD IN UYO

Bassey Jackson-Umoh, a retired army colonel, who was accused of car theft, also duped one Mr. Inibehe Effiong, a Lagos-based lawyer of N50, 000. The Cross River State Police command had last Thursday paraded Jackson-Umoh for allegedly stealing a Toyota Highlander belonging to a lawmaker in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Steven Okpukpen.

Jackson-Umoh was said to have presented himself to the car mart, where the vehicle was placed for sale, as retired Maj.-Gen Peter Williams, attached to the Presidency in Abuja.

Following the publication in the Friday’s edition of The Punch, the Lagos-based lawyer, who spoke with Punch Metro on Sunday, said he was also bamboozled by Jackson-Umoh at a separate encounter in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He said Jackson-Umoh had during the encounter in Uyo introduced himself as Maj.-Gen Paulka Williams, attached to the intelligence unit of the Presidency. He said, “The same person you reported in The Punch last Friday tactically duped me of N50, 000 on September 23, 2015, after an encounter at a bank in Uyo. That particular day was the anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State, so most banks were not open for normal business transactions.

“On experiencing this little setback at that branch of the bank, the suspect, who was also in the bank offered to take me to another branch where he was sure would be opened. I did not suspect anything and had to join him because he looked responsible.

“In the course of driving, he told me that he was Maj.-Gen Paulka Williams in charge of the personal security of the President, and I had no cause to doubt him. Eventually we got to the bank and it was also locked. At that point he asked me to give him the N50, 000 on trust and that he would give it back to me on Monday. I did not have cause to doubt him.

“He gave me his telephone number and I called to confirm, it rang. The true caller application on my phone revealed his name as Paulka Williams, and that made me to believe him the more. I gave him the money. Unfortunately, after that day, his phone line never went through again. So, when I saw his picture in The Punch, I knew his day of reckoning had come.”

Jackson-Umoh had during his parade in Calabar boasted that he would deal with all those connected to his travails. He had also refused to respond to the several allegations levelled against him by the police.

Punch