ECOWAS Top Shot In Scam
P.M. News (Lagos)
September 23, 1998
Posted to the web September 23, 1998
Lagos
Mr. Godwin Uwerumba a top executive with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) headquarters in Lagos is now enmeshed in a N5.5 million advance fee fraud, a.k.a. 419 scandal. Also in trouble over the scam are four others including Mr Godwin Udofot who is now in police net.
While the police at the Force CID are treating the ECOWAS chieftain with kidgloves, Mr Udofot has spent over one year in detention. Three other suspects, according to police sources, have been declared wanted over their roles in the scam. Two top military officers, a General and a Colonel are said to have been fingered in the scam but the police are afraid of arresting them for interrogations because of their positions in the Nigerian Army.
Mr Uwerumba who was arrested and released on bail told the police that he lost N5.5 million including his wife in the deal. He said trouble started few months ago when he was approached by Mr Udofot, who was his Bible student, for money to execute a business deal. Though he denied knowledge of the nature of the business, he admitted spending N5.5 million on the deal.
However, the police at the FCID where the scam is being investigated are working on the theory that no reasonable person would part with such colossal sum of money without knowing what the money was being spent on. "He is one of our suspects," a senior police officer said.
Their reasoning corroborated with that of Mr Udofot who in his confessional statement told the police that the deal was hatched by the army General and Colonel attached to the ECOMOG mission in Liberia.
He said the ECOMOG General showed him three boxes said to contain raw dollars and asked him to source for those who are willing to purchase the chemicals for the "washing" of the dollars.
He was said to have been told that the boxes contained 500,000 pieces of dollars and who whoever would sponsor their "washing" was to go home with N30 million after the deal.
Mr Udofot said it was on the strength of this that he contacted Mr. Uwerumba, an ECOWAS chieftain and a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses who was then teaching him the Bible. On receipt of the information, he was said to have jumped at the deal and invested N5.5 million with a view to recouping N30 million.
The wool was pulled off his eyes when, after investing such a whopping sum, he discovered that the boxes contained no valuable items but fake dollar negatives. His wife was said to have died few days after receiving the information about the scam. It could not be ascertained if
she died of shock arising from the botched deal.
When Mr. Uwerumba was contacted at his 2 Bello Street, Orile Iganmu home, he confirmed losing the money to fraudsters but said he did not know what the money was to be used for. "I gave the money to Mr. Udofot on trust," he said, and added, "this business cost my wife."
http://allafrica.com/search.html?string=jehovah's&page=2
---------------------------------------
It's OK making dirty money, but when they are scammed themselves - they can always scream for police!
Anyone know how to spell hypocrites?
Yakki Da
Kent
I need more BOE letters, KMs and other material. Those who can send it to me - please do! The new section will be interesting!!
Daily News On The Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witnesses:
http://watchtower.observer.org