A self-acclaimed Alfa, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahamido, has been arrested by the Maroko Police Division in the Lekki area of Lagos State for allegedly defrauding a trader identified as Moses Sarah.
The victim was sometime in December, 2015, introduced to Ahamido in a restaurant in Lekki and Ahamido was said to have boasted he had special powers that could make him multiply money after prayers.
The 47-year-old Alfa on February 22, 2016, had collected N350, 000 from Sarah and had promised to boost her business by turning the money to N5m. He, however, absconded with the money, after allegedly giving his girlfriend, Musa Hawa, part of the money (N100, 000), The Punch reports.
According to a source, “The woman initially did not believe. So, he promised to help her bring out her child, who at the time was arrested by the police for an offence he committed. He prepared some concoction for her, and just like that, the woman’s son was released.
“Sarah was immediately convinced and she trusted him,” the source disclosed, adding that she later asked him for help concerning her business, which was not doing well.”
The suspect reportedly asked her to give him the N350, 000 so he could turn it to N5m.
Sarah said she believed him and gave him the money.
She said, “I told him I would be travelling to Ghana in December 2015, and I would return in January 2016. He gave me something to put under my pillow. He said when I return from my trip, I should check the pillow and the N5m would be there.
“When I returned, I checked under the pillow, but I did not see any money. I called him to inform him, and he said it was my fault because I did not come back on time.
“He said the money came out from the container he gave me, but when I did not pack it on time, it went back. He then asked me to pay another N9, 000 so that he could make another charm to repair the damage.
“It was after I gave him the money and he disappeared that I knew I was dealing with a fraudster,” the victim added.
She, however, reported the case to the police, and after a manhunt, Ahamido was arrested.
On his part, the suspect said he did not mean to dupe the trader.
He said he tried to multiply the money, but the charm failed.
“I did not collect up to N350, 000 from her. She even gave me the money in bits. The total is N150, 000,” Ahamido stated, adding that he gave his girlfriend, Hawa, N100, 000 to renew their love.
“I will refund the money since her blood was not compatible with the prayers.”
Meanwhile, Hawa denied collecting N100, 000 from him.
She said, “I came to Lagos about 15 years ago. It was about three months ago that Alhaji came to me and said he wanted to date me.
“Three days later, he bought a wrapper for me. I did not know where he got it from. When he continued buying me more wrappers, I suspected something was wrong and I started keeping them so that if a police case arose, I would be able to defend myself.
“He bought me only four wrappers. He never gave me any N100, 000,” Hawa stressed.
The police, however at the weekend, arraigned the duo before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on two counts of obtaining under false pretences.
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Cyriacus Osuji, said the offences were punishable under sections 409 and 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The charge read in part, “That you, Ibrahim Ahamido, and Musa Hawa, on February 22, 2016, at Marwa Waterside, Lekki, Lagos, in the Eti-osa Local Government Area, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did obtain by false pretences the sum of N350, 000 from one Moses Sarah, with the pretence of making more money for her.”
Ahamido pleaded guilty to the charge, whereas his girlfriend, Hawa, said she was not guilty.
In her ruling, the magistrate, Mrs. J.O.A. Adepoju, admitted her to bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Adepoju adjourned the matter till March 2 for further hearing.
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