Suspected Fraudster In EFCC Net Over $1m scam

A suspected fraudster, Adekunle Balogun a.k.a Malan Salihu, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over fraudulent dealings involving the sum of $1million USD.

According to the EFCC, the 44- year- old Ordinary Diploma certificate holder in Textile and Polymer Technology was picked up by operatives of the Commission in Lagos for allegedly duping one Precious Chukwuma Emelue of N100, 000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira only) by deceiving him into believing that, he would assist him in retrieving a sum of $1,000,000.00(One Million United States Dollars) from a Pakistani bank: Kan-Cern Limited, which payment was allegedly stopped by the International Monetary Fund, IMF.

Emelue claimed that, in 2012, he met one Mr. Perry Kandoharty (a Diplomat with the Pakistani High Commission) in Lagos.

In the course of their discussions, Emelue told Kandoharty that he was widely experienced in deep sea fishing. And after much deliberation, they both agreed to work together on a business.

Emelue would provide land for a fish processing factory in Nigeria and space for the development of fish ponds. Emelue claimed that Kandoharty sent him a mail informing him of a deposit of $1,000,000.00 into Kan -Cern Limited. It was this fund, allegedly stopped by IMF, which Balogun made him believe he could pull out for him.

In the course of his dealings with Emelue, Balogun allegedly obtained money in different instalments from him "to obtain certificates from authorities" handling drug, anti-terrorism and money laundering issues.

The suspect is also alleged to have impersonated the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde and used his name to extort his victm. But Balogun denies that he impersonated the EFCC Chair.

"I didn't call myself Lamorde. What I told him was that Lamorde was a Lion and I'm the only tiger that can approach him", he said.
Several items were recovered from him during a search of his house. They include documents bearing the names of the State Security Service, SSS; Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN; and Insurance companies among others.

Balogun would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.