Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
The Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a 31-year-old Islamic scholar/herbalist, Jamiu Isiaka, for impersonating the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina among other prominent citizens.
The suspect, with others who are still at large, allegedly used names of senior government officials to scam a South Korean national, Keun Sig Kim, under the pretext of getting him a license at the NNPC to enable him to purchase a company.
The petitioner had paid over N30 million into the suspect’s account as a fee for the NNPC license.
According to him: “I transferred USD 4, 285, (and) 71 cents only to the United Bank of Africa (UBA) account number 2107575870 in the name of one Jamiu Isiaka, an associate of Mr Shola Adeshina. It is noteworthy that this account’s particulars have been provided severally for me to make transfers to.”
Isiaka during interrogation with the officials of the commission, however, claimed that he used the money to make a sacrifice for the petitioner.
He claimed to have bought an assortment of oddities including vulture, elephant’s skin and intestines, the skull of a lion and a gorilla’s liver among others.