Suspected members of the syndicate arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Lagos State Police Command are: Ademola Olaniyan, 57; Kola Osho, 33; and Sola Oyedepo, 26.
Large quantity of fake documents and letter head belonging to Ekiti State House of Assembly; office of the Speaker; Secretariat Complex, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development; and Office of the Special Adviser, Governor’s Office, Ekiti, were recovered from the suspects.
Also recovered were two blank First Bank cheque leaves (No. P030710056, Oke-Odo branch), belonging to Famuyiwa Idowu and P030710057 for same branch and same account owner.
The suspects were arrested following a tip-off to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Umar Manko, that some fraudsters were operating at Abule- Egba Area of Lagos.
The CP mandated the Officer-in-Charge of SARS Abba Kyari, a Superintendent of Police, and his second in command, Peter Gana, also a Superintendent of Police SP to go after the suspected criminals.
They were arrested at about 2.50pm on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, while Ademola and Sola were about issuing a first bank cheque believed to have either been stolen or cloned to Kola.
Ademola was the first to be arrested, but as investigation progressed, Kola was traced to Awolowo Way, Ikeja where he was arrested with some documents belonging to the Ekiti State Government.
It was gathered that the suspects also swindles account owners after stealing their cheque books.
Further investigation revealed that the syndicate always ensures they have an insider in any bank they intend to operate, whose job it is to facilitating the fraud.
Demola, from Ikire, Osun State, claimed he is a 2006 graduate of Business Studies from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, resident at 23, Pipeline Road, Abule-Egba. He said he is an education consultant, and on the bank cheques found in his possession, he said: “Some boys brought the blank cheques to us… but how they got it, we don’t know. But we give it to professionals who can work on it and use it to withdraw money. Mr. Osho is the professional who usually work on the cheques. We cash it under mandate which is below N100,000.
“This is the third cheque we have given to him. The first cheque was (of) Diamond Bank, but there was no money in that account. One Samson is the one that usually brings the cheques, he stays in Obalende. The second cheque was GTB, but Osho did not have any insider in that bank so it was not cashed. The third was this blank First Bank cheque, the professional was working on it when we were arrested,” he added.
Osho, from Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State who claimed to reside in 52 Santos Street, Abule Egba said he wanted to use the documents found on him to process VISA. I saw the Ekiti State House document in internet and I printed it out.
“Yes, Kola gave me some cheques but l returned them because it did not work.
However, Sola denied being part of the syndicate but claimed to be an estate agent who wanted to rent out an accommodation to Osho when police came to arrest them.
Police police however maintained that he is part of the syndicate.
“I knew Osho through one man at Ikeja, I did not do any business with the man. I do not have an office as a real estate operator, but attached with someone.”
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