EFCC captures 3 ‘spiritualists’ for ₦16m fraud

Officials of the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a self-acclaimed spiritualist, Mohammed Ibrahim, and his accomplice, Ibrahim Abubakar for allegedly defrauding one Mohammed Gaji of the sum of N16m, under the guise of conducting spiritual prayers to make him (Gaji) rich.

A statement released by Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, says the suspects were arrested at Sabon Bolori, behind Chad Basin, Borno State, in the course of an investigation into a petition written against Mohammed Gaji, alleging that he misappropriated N22.2million given to him by the petitioner, Mohammed Alhaji Bukar to establish a cattle ranch business.

Uuwjaren stated that rather than invest the money as planned, Gaji gave the spiritualist N16million of the N22.2million for prayers so he could get rich. He said upon Gaji’s arrest, he admitted squandering the money given to him for business and confessed giving N16million to the spiritualists who promised to make him rich.

During the raid, a large hole covered with animal skin with a center table placed on it was discovered in the room, where Mohammed’s accomplice, Abubakar used as a hiding place; pretending to be a ‘genie’. Gaji claimed he was given a precious stone, a small iron box containing a white piece of cloth and some foreign currencies with instructions to fast for three months and one day before he could get rich.

Items recovered from the spiritualists include white pieces of clothes with Arabic inscriptions, calabashes, animal skins, animal horns, foreign currencies, and two small iron boxes.

Uwujaren said the suspects will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.