Curbing Fraud in Nigeria!!!

DAWN OF TRANSPARENCY IN NIGERIA

I must begin by saying how happy I am to bear witness to this narrative I am going to share with all and sundry through this benign avenue. It happened on Sunday, the 7th of June 2009, at a Lagos High Court. The event, like another like it which took place barely a week ago, goes a long way to depict the face of a New Nigeria. Hitherto, the common perception given to or deduced from an average Nigerian is that of dishonesty, distrust and as a threat. However, this is a palpable evidence that the tide is shifting; the Nation is moving towards positivity. Please do read on:

A Lagos High Court, Ikeja has sentenced a 25 year-old Computer Science graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun state, Adewale Arije, to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine for defrauding an American company to the tune of N16million. The Judge, Justice M.O. Obadina also ordered that goods recovered from the convict which were tendered as exhibits by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), be returned as restitution to the victim in the United States.

The convict was found guilty in one of the 2- count charge bordering on obtaining goods by false pretences preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Arije, alias Ola Rhodes was reported to the EFCC in 2007 by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI. FBI agent, Mr. Robert Fortner who served as prosecution witness during the trial complained that the convict fraudulently claimed to be an employee of WESCO Corporation, a US based company, and ordered for three cartons containing 49 packets of Kingston Technology Value RAM, with each packet containing 25 pieces and inkjet print cartridges valued at N16million from Communication Supply Corporation, Virginia, USA by credit application and billed WESCO for the merchandise ordered.

The agent who was in Nigeria to testify against the convict further alleged that Arije perfected the scam by shipping the goods through United Kingdom based Morcargo UK Ltd to Barsmak Services Nigeria Ltd and collected it as Ola Rhodes.
The company representative claimed that they have lost over USD2million to this kind of 419 heist.The convict was arrested in Lagos few days after the EFCC received the petition. He owned up to the crime and when his house was searched all the items he fraudulently shipped to the country were recovered.

Hmmm…. Dear beloved Nigeria! Nigeria must survive!!! In God’s name it MUST.

Aliyu (still remains my name)

0092348066498079.

http://mailto:alinamadu@yahoo.co.uk