Crime

How Depositor Loses N350,000 To Fraudster In banking Hall

Published

2 years ago

October 21, 2022

Editor

A shop assistant, Nojeem Ogundele, who lost N350,000 to a fraudster at Wema Bank, Aiyetoro branch, Ogun State, has accused the bank of nonchalance in helping him to retrieve the money.

It was learnt that the incident happened around 1pm on October 12 when Ogundele’s boss, Obi Emmanuel, sent him to deposit the money into a business account.

It was gathered that on getting to the bank, Ogundele joined a queue for depositors.

However, a man, who came out of the bulk room, instructed him to fill out three tellers, after which he collected the money from him and went back to the bulk room.

The victim said he later discovered that the suspect was a fraudster.

He said, “Last week, my boss sent me to deposit N350,000 at the Aiyetoro branch of Wema Bank and when I got there, customers were many outside the bank.

“A man suddenly came out of the bank and told the security men that they should let those of us who wanted to deposit huge sums of money into the bank.

“After I entered, the same man came to me and asked how much I wanted to deposit and when I told him, thinking he was a bank official, he gave me three tellers and told me to fill in the details.

“I was waiting for the signed copies from the bulk room and when it was taking too long, I raised the alarm.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that the bank’s closed circuit television camera captured the suspect’s face, but the bank denied he was a worker.

The case was reported at the Aiyetoro Police Station by Nojeem’s boss, who told our correspondent that the bank and the police were foot-dragging on the matter.

Emmanuel said, “Since we reported the case to the police, both the bank and the police have not done much to ensure I get my money. I am just a small businessman and that money means a lot to me.

“We later learnt that this kind of a thing has been happening recently in that bank.”

The bank’s branch manager, Sharafadeen Awayeti, confirmed the incident, but claimed Ogundele might have been hypnotised.

He said, “First, the man in question wore native attire and aside from Fridays, we don’t wear native clothes to work.

“Also, this is not the boy’s first time of depositing money for his boss in our bank, so we feel that he may have been hypnotised by the criminal who made away with the money.

“We gave all necessary assistance to the police when they came here to investigate and since investigation is ongoing on the matter, let’s wait for them to conclude their work.”

A financial expert, Dolapo Olayemi, said banks must ensure that their workers could be easily identified by customers, as such frauds had become rampant inside banking halls.

The state police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he would get back to our correspondent on the incident.

He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Crime

Police Declare Man Wanted Over Homos*xual Act

Published

11 months ago

June 22, 2023

Editor

A 50-years old man, Edo Omusi, has been declared wanted by the police in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, for disappearing after being ‘caught’ in a same s*x act in Ogiso community.

A source close to the police in the state, told our correspondent that the suspect, and one of his male friends, whose name was not given, were sighted at an undisclosed location by some youths as they were comitting the act.

Under Nigerian Laws, any person caught in the gay act is liable to 14 years in prison and if found by the community could be killed.

The duo were said to have been deeply engrossed in the act when they were found but before the person who saw them in the , “sinful and abominable act”, went for back up, they had escaped the location.

The incident which occurred on 25/4/23 at Ogiso area of the town almost threw the community into a turmoil as irate youths welding sticks and cudgels rampaged the community in search of the duo to lynch them.

It was also learnt that worried by the trend the youths in the community had to set up a surveillance team to monitor his movements. It was on one of the surveillance trips that he was reportedly caught on the fateful day, with the unidentified male partner.

It was gathered since the community reported the incident to the police, the whereabouts of the suspect, Edo Omusi has since remained unknown by all and sundry.

Speaking on the development, a top Police official confirmed the matter and explained that the Crime Investigation Department of the command is working round the clock to arrest the suspect, having declared him a wanted person.

Crime

Man, 41, Sent To Prison For Groping Woman’s Breast

Published

1 year ago

April 14, 2023

Editor

A Badagry Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Friday, ordered the remand of a 41-year-old man, Ibrahim Lemo, for groping the breast of a woman.

The court heard that Lemo beat up his victim, Zainab Babalola, when she demanded he stopped the unlawful act

Chief Magistrate Fadahunsi Adefioye remanded Lemo after he pleaded guilty to a two count bordering on assault.

Adefioye ordered that the defendant should be remanded in Awhajigoh Correctional Centre, Badagry.

He adjourned the case until April 14 for facts and sentencing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP. Clément Okuoimose, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on April 6 at 2.30 p.m. at Badagry Roundabout shopping complex, Badagry, Lagos.

Okuoimose said Lemo without lawful excuse pressed the breast of the complainant, Zainab Babalola.

He said the defendant also hit the complainant on her left eye and caused her harm after she asked him not to touch her again.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 134 and 170 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)

Crime

Hushpuppi’s Associate, Woodberry, Pleads Guilty, Forfeits $8m, Assets

Published

1 year ago

April 13, 2023

Editor

Olalekan Jacob Ponle, known as Mr Woodberry, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

He also agreed to forfeit $8 million in proceeds of wire fraud as well as luxury cars and watches to the foreign government.

Woodberry, a known associate of the now-imprisoned internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi, recently in a plea declaration submitted at the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division on April 6, pleaded guilty to count one of the indictments, the Peoples Gazette reports.

According to his plea agreement, he is required to pay back the sum of $8 million he fraudulently received from the seven companies that he scammed.

“Defendant understands that by pleading guilty, he will subject to forfeiture to the United States all right, title, and interest that he has in any property constituting or derived from proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the offence,” stated the document containing Mr Ponle’s signed plea declaration.

Woodberry was also asked to waive his rights to the luxury cars, and designer watches he had stashed in Dubai.

The high-end automobiles include Rolls Royce Cullinan with vehicle no J9153, Lamborghini Urus (N4973) and Mercedes-Benz G-class (G68816).

Other items seized are four Rolex watches, one Patek Philippe watch, three Audemars Piguet watches, three gold and diamond-studded earrings, and six gold neck chains.

Last year, he forfeited 151.8 Bitcoin to the American government.

On June 10, 2020, Woodberry was arrested in Dubai alongside Ramon Hushpuppi Abbas, who is currently serving an 11-year sentence for a similar fraud charge.

Prior to his arrest, Woodberry was known for rocking and flaunting expensive designer wear and showing off his illicit wealth to his massive Instagram followers, the majority of whom had no idea his luxury lifestyle was funded by cybercrime.