A 43-year-old cleric is in police net in Lagos State for allegedly charming his United States of America-based friend to collect N105 million from him by false pretence.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mohammed Ali Ari, revealed this to newsmen on Monday.
Ari said the cleric also charmed his friend’s wife and three children and took them over as his own.
He said the cleric’s wife assisted her husband in the escapade.
Ari said aside the money and the friend’s family, the cleric and his wife also took over five vehicles and landed properties belonging to the US-based friend.
He told newsmen that the suspect confessed using spiritual means to take over his friend’s family, swindling him of over N105 million and several landed properties in Lagos.
He said the cleric admitted to have bewitched the friend into changing his children’s names and land documents into his.
Ari said a complaint was lodged with the police on July 17, 2023, leading to the arrest of the cleric and his wife.
He added that other accomplices of the cleric and his wife were currently at large, but that five persons had been arrested over the crime.
He said also that one white Toyota Venza 2009 model, one Ashok Leland Bus and various landed properties had been recovered from the suspects.
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He said: “The suspect abducted the petitioner’s wife and children for more than 10 years, subsequently changed their names to his through the help of his wife.
“He converted all the petitioner’s properties to his own, claiming that God directed him to do so.
“It was God that opened the petitioner’s eyes 10 years after when he realised what he was doing and returned to Nigeria to file his petition.”
AIG Ari added that the cleric’s wife confessed to the alteration of the birth documents of the complainant’s children to bear the cleric’s name.
He said that the cleric’s wife also admitted to have received more than $17,000 (about to N11.8 million) from the complainant.
He added: “Investigation showed that the suspect met the complainant at a religious place in Lagos after which they became friends.
“The complainant is based in the USA and became close to the suspect about 16 years ago.
“While they were friends, the complainant started to send the suspect money to execute a project.
“Instead, the suspect converted the complainant’s entire savings amounting to more than N105 million to his own.”
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