Man who impersonated the EFCC arrested for N10m fraud

isaac dachen

October 16, 2015 1:57 PM

A fraudster who paraded himself as an official of the EFCC to dupe someone has been arrested and charged in a court.

Edward Abiodun

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested and charged a notorious fraudster, Edward Abiodun, a member of a syndicate which impersonated the agency, for defrauding an unsuspecting victim of the sum of N10 million.

In a statement released by the anti-graft agency, Abiodun was arraigned on Wednesday, October 14, at the Gombe State High Court presided by Justice Beatrice Iliya, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence.

The suspect and his accomplices who are now at large, Murtala Bello and Esther Momoh, had allegedly paraded themselves as staff of the EFCC attached to the Abuja office of the agency, in order to dupe one Umar Bello.

The statement added that:

"The complainant alleged that Murtala Bello had, on March 13, 2015, phoned him, assuring him that the syndicate could ‘kill’ a purported petition written against him, if he could pay the sum of N10 million.

Consequently, he was said to have sent the phone number of Momoh who claimed to be a Principal Detective Superintendent, PDS, with EFCC to the victim for further discussion on how the money could be paid to them.

The complainant also alleged that the suspects offered to collect N300, 000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) from him when he could not raise the initial N10 million (Ten Million Naira).

He further said that one ‘’, who claimed to be the officer handling his purported case, sent an SMS to him on March 19, 2015, summoning him to appear before the Commission on March 23, 2015.

According to him, owing to the persistent threat by members of the syndicate, he paid the sum of N50, 000 into Abiodun’s Diamond bank account number: 0044213102, which was sent to him by Momoh on March 25, 2015.

Worried by the persistent threat from the syndicate over the balance of N250, 000, the victim petitioned the EFCC, which swung into action and eventually arrested the accused person."

When the charges were read to him, Abiodun pleaded not guilty and Justice Iliya adjourned the matter to October 26, 2015, for hearing of bail application and ordered that the he be remanded in prison custody.

isaac dachen