Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) have arrested a four-man syndicate allegedly impersonating and blackmailing the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Mr Ola Olukoyede in a $ 1 million deal.
The commission in a statement on Thursday by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the suspected syndicate were Ojobo Joshua, Aliyu Hashim, Thomas Oduh and Paul Ogiji, who “were arrested on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at Gimbiya Street, Garki and Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.”
The anti-graft agency noted that the alleged fraudsters contacted a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko “claiming his indictment in some phoney investigative activities of the EFCC during his tenure as the MD of NPA.”
The EFCC said they alleged “that Olukoyede was ready to give him (Bello-Koko) a soft landing for $ 1 million or risk being arrested and prosecuted.
“On receipt of intelligence regarding the moves of the impersonators, operatives of the Commission were deployed to play along with the alleged fraudsters.
“They were successfully arrested and in the custody of the Commission.
“They would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the agency said.