POLICE in Abuja have arrested a suspected fraudster, Prince Momoh Enema, who had defrauded prominent citizens in various parts of the country, using the name of the current Minister of Interior, Abdulraman, Dambazau. The 40-year-old suspect who is a native of Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, is currently undergoing interrogation by men of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT. Enema was arrested when he posed as Dambazzau to defraud the Seriki of Gwandabawa area of Sokoto State of the sum of $ 10,000 through a phoney contract deal. It was learnt that the leader of the syndicate, identified as Dr. Usman who is currently at large had on April 2017, contacted the Seriki, and identified himself as General Abdulraman Dambazau, the current Minister of Interior of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was said to have informed the Seriki that President Muhammdu Buhari had decided to reward the Seriki and his people at Gwadanbwa, Sokoto State for their support during the 2015 elections and had decided to employ 20 natives of Gwadanbawa into the Nigeria Police Force and the Customs Service. He was also said to have instructed the Seriki to send the names and curriculum vitae of the 20 persons through the office of the chief of staff to the Minister of Interior and the sum of N45,000 on each applicant for procuring training kits for them.
The Seriki was said to have unsuspectingly sent 20 names, CVs and the said sum of N1million through the said chief of staff to the minister and a date was given to him, when the applicants would commence training. The source said: “Few weeks later, the fake minister called the Seriki and informed him that the ministry was about issuing contracts for the supply of equipment worth N3 billion to the Nigeria Police Force, Customs Service and other paramilitary organisations under the ministry. The fake minister then asked the Seriki to send him his company’s profile and the sum of $10,000 to the personal assistant to the minister. “The Seriki at this point became suspicious and decided to conduct a proper check before committing an amount as huge as $10,000 to the deal. He was said to have contacted the Federal House of Representatives member representing his constituency, Hon. Abdulahi Balarabe Salame, and urged him to verify from General Dambazau, if he had made any contacts with him and if he was truly demanding the said sum for contracts.
” The source added: “After confirming that the Seriki had been dealing with fraudsters, Hon. Abdullahi urged the Seriki to play along and they agreed to lure the fake minister to a location in Abuja where he would be arrested. The Seriki, then called the fake minister and informed him that he was ready to pay for the contract and that he also had a copy of his company’s profile with him. The fake minister then told him that he would be sending his Personal Assistant to pick the money and the documents, but when the said PA got to the location he was arrested by the police.” The suspect in a chat with newsmen denied being a member of the syndicate. He however confessed that he met Dr. Usman, the fake minister, at the Millennium Development Goal (MDG’S) office located at Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a contract biding session in 2014.
The suspect who claimed to be married with two children and also the leader of Igala Young Empowerment Initiative, said: “When I met Dr Usman, he told me that he usually secure contracts from the Federal Government and sell those he could not execute and that he also buys from people who want to sell theirs. ” I reside in Abuja with my family and I have a farm in Nassarawa State, I didn’t know that he was a fraudster until I was arrested. He normally sends me on errand after which he will give me money. On the day I was arrested, he called me and we met at Area 11, Abuja from where we drove in his car to a Total Petrol Station close to the Police Force Headquarters. He asked me to go into the petrol station that someone would give me a parcel. When I entered the fillings station, I saw a big man who asked if I was the PA to the minister and I said yes. We shook hands and before I knew what was happening, I was arrested by the police. He drove out of the place immediately I was arrested. I told the people who arrested me that I wasn’t aware of what was happening and that I was only sent on errand but they didn’t listen. They took me to General Dambazzau in his office and he advised me to assist the police in arresting Dr Usman and that they will allow me go home after doing so.”
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