Custom ‘officer’ defrauds buyers with fake car auction deal

 The Ogun State Police Command said, yesterday, that it had arrested a young man named Peter,  for allegedly defrauding a man under the pretence of selling a car to him through  a public auction by the Customs Service.

Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement in Abeokuta, said Peter resides at Osomurika Road, Igarra in Edo State, but committed the crime in Agbara, Ogun State.

According to Adejobi, the suspect was, however, arrested at Auchi Edo State on September 16, following a manhunt for his arrest by the police detectives from the Agbara Division of the Command.

He said: “Mr. Amune had already collected N200,000 from his victim, Mr. Johnson Umeugoji, who claimed to have seen the announcement of the auction placed on internet by the suspect.

“The victim paid the money into the bank account of the suspect in Auchi.

“The suspect had told his victim to meet him and his colleagues at Agbara for the public auction, purportedly carried out by Customs.

“The victim, who eventually realised that he had been duped, reported the matter at the Agbara division and the DPO, Ayo Sonubi, swung into action, leading to the suspect’s arrest.

“The suspect has confessed that he belongs to a syndicate that specialises in duping people using such methods.

“The Command is intensifying efforts to arrest the other members of the syndicate. He will be charged to the magistrate’s court, Agbara, as soon as investigation is concluded.”

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Alleged Certificate Forgery: Customs Boss Knows Fate Tomorrow

Justice Yetunde Idowu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja will tomorrow give judgment in the suit instituted by Festus Keyamo, seeking for an Order of Mandamus compelling the Attorney-General to initiate criminal proceeding against the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, of an alleged certificate forgery.

In reply to Keyamo’s application, the Lagos Attorney General (AG), Mr. Ade Ipaye had urged the court to refuse Keyamo’s application on the ground that it lacks merit as the applicant has failed to allow the police to investigate the matter.

He added further that the applicant’s client and the complainant, Olajide Ibrahim, did not honour the invitation extended to him by the police to enable them commence investigation into the allegation raised in the application

The AG asked the court to strike out paragraphs containing such allegations against the Directorate, contending that the applicant’s averment in such paragraphs were conclusions which he said violated the provision of Section 115 of the Evidence Act that only facts and the description of circumstances could be stated in an affidavit.

“Having regard to the facts of this present application, I know for a fact that the respondent is awaiting the report of investigation in order to decide whether an offence has been committed as the Applicant’s investigations do not include the evidence of witnesses who are material to establishing the case of prosecution.”

Keyamo however in his argument accused the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions of covering up an offence of certificate forgery allegedly committed by the Comptroller General of Nigerian Custom, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko.

He urged the court to reject the DPP’s excuse of lack of sufficient evidence to prosecute Dikko for the offence, praying the court to grant his prayer contained in his Motion on Notice, seeking an order of Mandamus to compel the DPP to prosecute the Customs boss or be allowed to personally do so.

Keyamo in an affidavit dated January 24, 2012, filed in support of his Motion on Notice, alleged that if the DPP were to be sincere to its duty, it would have written a letter to the institutions which purportedly issued the allegedly forged certificates.

“Contrary to the deposition of the respondent in paragraph 8 of counter-affidavit, the proof of evidence directly reveals a prima facie case against Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko and that the Director of Public Prosecutions is merely covering up crime glaringly committed by Dikko.

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