Fake cleric remanded over alleged N17 million fraud

A fake cleric, Mohammed Mohammed, 42, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Ilorin Magistrate Court, Kwara for allegedly defrauding one Abdulkareem Abiodun of N17 million under false pretext.
The accused was arrested following a petition written on September 5, to the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, by Abiodun of No. 78, Salami Zubairu Street, Ilorin that the accused defrauded him.
According to the victim, the accused deceitfully introduced himself as an Alfa and also claimed that he has a connection with Saudi Arabian Government Pilgrimage.
The victim alleged that the accused told him that he won a contract with the department in charge of displaced people in the Northern part of Nigeria and needed money to execute it.
Thereafter, the accused was said to have dishonestly collected N17 million from the victim under the pretext of making him his business associate.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Alhassan Jubril, said that the accused was one of the notorious criminals who went around the state and swindled unsuspecting citizens of their hard earned money.

He added that on hearing the arrest of the accused, others whom he had duped earlier came to the police station to report similar cases against him.
Jubril said that the accused appeared before the court on a one-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(3) of the a Penal Code.
He objected to the bail of the accused and urged the court to remand him in prison custody pending the outcome of investigation.
The defence counsel, Aisha Jimoh, prayed the court to admit the accused to bail pending the outcome of investigation.
She submitted that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria still presumed the accused innocent of the allegation until contrary was proved.
The Judge, Afusat Alege, who declined to take the plea of the accused for lack of jurisdiction, ordered that the accused be remanded at the Federal Medium Security Prison, Mandala in Ilorin.
The court adjourned the case till October 8 for further mention.