Police arrests cleric for allegedly defrauding US-based friend of N105m

Police operatives in Lagos have arrested a 43-year-old cleric for allegedly defrauding his United States-based friend of N105 million.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Mr. Ali Mohammed, who paraded the cleric before journalists on Monday, said he also hypnotised his friend’s wife and three children and took them over as his own.

Mohammed said the cleric’s wife assisted him in the act.

The AIG said: “Aside from the money and the friend’s family, the cleric and his wife also took over five vehicles and landed property belonging to the U.S.-based friend.

“The suspect confessed that he used spiritual means to take over his friend’s family, more than N105 million and several landed properties in Lagos.

“The cleric admitted that he bewitched the friend into changing his children’s names and land documents into his.

“A complaint lodged with the police on July 17, 2023, led to the arrest of the cleric and his wife.”

He added that other accomplices of the suspect are currently at large, but that five persons had been arrested over the crime.

The AIG revealed that one white Toyota Venza 2009 model, one Ashok Leland Bus, and various landed properties had been recovered from the suspects.

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Mohammed added: “The suspect abducted the petitioner’s wife and children for more than 10 years; subsequently changed their names to his through the help of his wife.

“He converted all the petitioner’s properties to his own, claiming that God directed him to do so.

“It was God that opened the petitioner’s eyes 10 years after when he realised what he was doing and returned to Nigeria to file his petition.

“The cleric’s wife confessed to the alteration of the birth documents of the complainant’s children to bear the cleric’s name.

“The woman also admitted that she received more than $17,000 (about N11.8 million) from the complainant.

“Investigation showed that the suspect met the complainant at a religious place in Lagos after which they became friends.

“The complainant is based in the United States and became close to the suspect about 16 years ago. While they were friends the complainant started to send the suspect money to execute a project.

“Instead, the suspect converted the complainant’s entire savings amounting to more than N105 million to his own.”

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