Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sokoto zonal office has arrested one Emmanuel Adedeji Oluwatosin, (31 years) who was among the recent names released by FBI in Kaduna.
Briefing journalists in Sokoto on Thursday, the Zonal Head of the commission covering Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States, Abdullahi Lawal, disclosed that the suspect was arrested in Kaduna on August 29.
He also revealed the arrest of one Muzakri Muhammad, who was arrested in connection with obtaining money under false pretences as well as the production of fake currencies which was reported against him by one Abdullahi Ibrahim.
Also paraded are four officials of Sabon Birni local government area of the state for defrauding not less than 114 teaching staff of the said local government education authority.
The suspects include one Ishaka Abdullahi, education secretary, Abdullahi Idris, the deputy education secretary, Abdullahi Dadi, Cashier and Idris Wambai, the accountant of the local government.
According to the Zonal head, “Sometime on August 29, Operatives of EFCC from Sokoto Zonal office arrested on Emmanuel Adedeji Oluwatosin, who is on the wanted list of FBI.
“The suspect was arrested in Kaduna in a luxury house believed to be proceed of fraud.
“Items recovered from the residence includes one unit of E550 Mercedes Benz, C450 Mercedes Benz, iPhone, laptops, Sims card, modem card and others.
“Preliminary investigation so far revealed that about 1,437,889,175.15 naira passed through his account and another 70,000,000.00 investment was traced to him”
“On the 19th of August, 2019, the commission received a petition from 114 teaching staff of Sabon Birni local government education authority, saying their salaries were stopped for several months.
“We commenced an investigation and arrested Four suspects, Ishaka Abdullahi, Abdullahi Idris, Abdullahi Dadi and Idris Wambai, all staff of the local government.
“Investigation so far revealed that since the year 2013, Sabon Birni LGEA has been maintaining a separate payroll of about 20 I’ll8 Ghost workers unknown to State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
“This was done by deducting irregular amount of monies from salaries of the actual staff of the LGEA and using same to pay off the Ghost workers.
“These deductions are done on the actual payslips provided by SUBEB on separate payslips created by the LGEA management and called it white payslips, which will ignore the actual one sent to them to adopt the 208 Ghost workers”
The EFCC zonal chairman, Abdullahi Lawal, while parading Muzakri Muhammad, suspected for obtaining money through fraudulent means from unsuspecting public’s.
He said, “one Samaila Sani, a Buearu de change operator complained that he was defrauded to the tune of $33,850, having agreed to buy $1 at the rate of 365 naira from the suspect.
“He went to the suspect house where he exchange 12, 315, 000 naira for the $33,850 from the suspect. Upon reaching home he discovered that the said dollars changed to sliced paper cards and all efforts to get the suspect refund his money was unsuccessful.
“Also, one Abdullahi Ibrahim alleged that Muzakri collected the sum of 2,350,000 from him on the pretext of producing $100,000 for him, which he neither produced nor refunded the equivalent naira given to him”
Lawal however also disclosed that several incriminating items which the suspect used in luring and defrauding suspects were recovered from his house.
He further disclosed that all the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of their various investigation.
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