Police nab chef for impersonating monarch

A 22-year-old college dropout, Gani Akinmade, has been arrested by the Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos for allegedly impersonating the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on Facebook.

Akinmade was said to have used the false identity to attempt swindling one Olubukola Awofeso, a United Kingdom resident whom he met on Facebook, of N3m.

He was arrested at a bank when he went to withdraw some money sent by another victim in the United States through Western Union money transfer.

The SFU Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Isintume-Agu said, “We received information on  July 22 2013,  that a Facebook account with the name HRM Oba Micheal Adedotun Gbadebo was opened between May 3 and 22, 2013 by a fraudster.

“Aside from trying to swindle Awofeso, the suspect attempted to lure the victim to partner in a business of supplying 300 transformers valued at over N1bn.

“Akinmade has confessed to the crime, but said that he  conspired with one Ifeanyi and Seyi Lewis to perpetrate the fraud.”

Olokunbolablessing gathered that Gbadebo had denied ownership of the Facebook account, adding that he had neither spoken with Awofeso nor proposed any business to her.

However, Akinmade, who claimed to be a self employed chef, denied the impersonation allegation.

He said, “I simply went to the bank to withdraw money for my friend, Ifeanyi.  I didn’t defraud anyone, neither did I impersonate anyone.

 “I had to even be assisted at the bank to fill the form before withdrawing the money because I have never used Western Union before.”

Isintume-Agu added that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing suspects.

She said, “The Commissioner of Police SFU, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, has advised members of the public to be mindful of the friends they keep on social network. Akinmade will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.”

In a related development, four persons were paraded by the SFU in connection with visa racketeering.

The suspects – Damilola Adeyalo, Mobolaji Ayodeji and Ajasa Olarewaju – were said to have been arrested at the US Consulate in Lagos for allegedly forging letters of invitation to the 2014 Grammy Award.

Their confessional statements were said to have led to the arrest of Destiny Onifade, the alleged mastermind of the crime.

The three suspects, however, denied the allegation. They claimed that they were musicians who had been promised international publicity by Onifade, a music promoter.

Ayodeji said, “I was aware that Onifade is a music promoter. I asked him over a year ago to help me promote Adeyalo and Olarewaju; I am their manager. It wasn’t until three weeks back that Onifade called to tell me that an opportunity had come. He said one Bishop was being recognised for an award. We were all to go as invitees. We had no idea that the invitation letters were forged.”