A policeman attached to the Maroko Police Division, Lagos, identified
only as Sergeant Sunday, has been detained for allegedly releasing a sum of
N4.1m recovered
from a fraud suspect.
The policeman reportedly released the exhibit to the suspect, identified
simply as Emmanuel, who in turn gave the money to one Kate, who is at large.
It was learnt that Emmanuel, who is the managing director of a
construction company in the state, had ordered supply of diesel worth N4.9m
from one Ms. Judith Ogbara.
The one Martins, who worked for Emmanuel, took delivery of the product.
Emmanuel was reported to have issued a Diamond Bank cheque of N4.9m to Ogbara
as payment.
Ogbara had gone to the bank to withdraw the sum when she was told that
the cheque was fake.
She was said to have called Emmanuel on the telephone and informed him of
the development.
When it appeared the payment for the goods was not forthcoming, she
requested that the product be returned. The suspect and his workers allegedly
absconded.
After attempts to locate them failed, she was said to have reported a
case of fraud to policemen at the Maroko division, who arrested Emmanuel and
Martins on March 12, 2017.
The sergeant was then assigned to investigate the matter.
A source told Punch that the police recovered N4.1m in a car allegedly
belonging to Emmanuel.
He said, “The managing director (Emmanuel) had been arrested with one
other suspect, Martins, for alleged fraud. The division was handling the matter
based on a petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, by
the complainant.
“The managing director had contracted the complainant for the supply of
diesel worth N4.9m. After the supply of the product, a Diamond Bank cheque was
issued to her as payment for the goods.
“Consequently, the complainant suspected that the cheque was fake and
decided to get the goods back. But Emmanuel and his boys disappeared and were
later arrested by policemen at the division. We found N4.1m in the car.”
The source added that the car and the cash were brought to the station,
but the IPO compromised in the cause of investigation and released the money to
Emmanuel without the knowledge of the Divisional Police Officer.
“It was discovered that the suspects sold the product for N4.1m. Upon the
arrest of the suspects, Sergeant Sunday released the money, which was hidden
inside the suspect’s car impounded at the station, to him (Emmanuel) at night.
“Emmanuel then gave the money to one Kate, who is currently at large.
Investigations revealed that the Diamond Bank cheque issued by Emmanuel was
cloned,” he added.
The Sergeant and other suspects had been transferred to the Commissioner
of Police X-Squad at the state police command headquarters in Ikeja for further
investigations.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, who
confirmed the incident, said efforts were ongoing to arrest Kate.
“The policeman is undergoing disciplinary actions and other suspects are
with us. Investigations are ongoing,” he added.
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