How fake bureau de change operator defrauded businessman of N12.7m

By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – A prosecution witness, Detective Dalyop Davou, has revealed how one Mr Nura Amadi allegedly swindled a businessman, Alhaji Garba Ibrahim, of N12.7 million by falsely claiming to be a Bureau de change operator.

Amadi was earlier arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on two counts bordering on fraud but failed to appear in court for trial.

Davou recalled how the incident happened while being led in evidence by the EFCC prosecution counsel, Yetunde Alabi, at a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Kubwa on Monday, June 21, 2021.

He said Alhaji Ibrahim’s lawyer, Shipi Rabo, wrote a petition to the EFCC on his behalf sometime in July 28, 2017, wherein he complained that Amadu had introduced himself as a registered Bureau de change operator when he was was about to travel to the UAE in 2015.

He continued: “The complainant (Ibrahim) needed $60, 000 (USD) for the trip and the defendant (Amadi) sent his brother, Aminu Amadi’s Zenith Bank account details to him to pay the naira sum for the exchange.

“Ibrahim paid N10.6 million between May 22 and May 25 to the said account and gave the defendant (Amadi) N12. 7 million,” Davou said.

Amadi then asked Ibrahim to proceed on his Dubai trip as he would send the dollar equivalent to him.

However, while in Dubai, Ibrahim kept calling the defendant and he did not pick up, leaving him stranded for three weeks until he managed to return to Nigeria.

He continued: “On his arrival, he went to Amadi’s office in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja and was told that he was not a registered Bureau de change operator.

“It prompted the complainant to travel to Amadi’s hometown in Katsina State, where the father of the defendant intervened and paid back N3.6 million, but the balance was never paid.”

Davou said the EFCC confirmed that Ibrahim made the transfers after his team wrote to Zenith Bank for an analysis of Amadi’s brother’s statement of account and to First Bank for the statement of Amadi’s account.

Davou further said Amadi and his brother were invited and reported to the EFCC, and in their  statements, admitted to receiving the said sum.

The accused, Amadi, said he could not account reasonably for what he did with the money and why he did not give the complainant the requested $60, 000 equivalent.

The prosecution counsel tendered the petition written to the EFCC, letters written to Zenith and First bank for bank statements and statements of the defendant and his brother, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

The presiding Judge, Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya, thereafter ordered that the search for the defendant should continue and adjourned the matter until July 12, 2021, in the interest of justice for the defendant to exercise his rights and examine the witness.
He, however, said the court will continue trial in absentia if the defendant failed to appear in court.
On June 15, EFCC applied for the provisions of Section 352(4) of the  Administration of Criminal Justice Act(ACJA) for trial to continue in absentia.
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