By Oghenekevwe Laba, Lagos
There was drama at the premises of Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday morning when a fraud suspect Mr. Clement Aladdah Eneche ( alias Clinton) alleged to have connived with members of his syndicate to defraud oil product marketers over N75m went berserk and attempted to attack a journalist for daring to ask him indicting questions.
Eneche, who was paraded along with Emmanuel Amakre,Lawrence Audu Oduh and Mike Edache Eneche at the premises of Lagos Police command on allegation of defrauding oil product marketers could not withstand the barrage of questions from journalists on the activities of his syndicate indulging in collecting money from unsuspecting victims without meeting their own side of the business.
Eneche who was particularly piqued by one of the journalists who asked him questions relating to his operating of fake companies, issuing of dude cheques and fake local purchase orders so as to trick his victim to part with huge sum of money under the pretense of doing legal business with them attempted to slap the journalist despite that he was on handcuff.
When his attempt to slap the journalist who write for a popular national newspaper failed, he resorted to rainning abuse on the journalist and refused to answer any more question from reporters who were asking him questions about his role in an alleged fraudulent practice.
“My local purchase order is not fake. My companies are registered and my office is located at FESTAC. Are you fighting me? Are you alright? What is your fucking problem? This is a case of victimization. I will not talk again. No, no, no….,” the suspect roared, as policemen escorted him away.
Urhobotoday gathered from Lagos State Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) Ms NgoZi Braide, a` Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) that Eneche and his syndicate specialized in defrauding unsuspecting petroleum product dealers of their money to the tune of N75m, adding that the syndicate had floated three companies namely Hephzibah Energy Resources Limited, Deep Flank Energy Resources and Blue Moon Energy Resources Limited through which they perpetuated their alleged illegal acts.
According to her, “The fraudsters equally opened several bank accounts with various banks to facilitate the commissioning of crime. The accounts are opened in Fidelity Bank with account number 4017411992, Diamond Bank with account number 0024570380, Sterling Bank with account number 0016979153, FCMB with number 0738460014, GTB Bank with account number 0118579822 and UBA Bank with account number 1016490678.”
Police source disclosed that the mode of operation of the group is to source for products from unsuspecting victims, bargain the price and issue cheques on the agreed sum after which they will arrange false bank alert and part with the products. Later, the transaction will turn out to be a scam because the accounts are not funded. Thus, before the victims could come to their senses, members of the syndicate have absconded to unknown destination.
A case at hand according to Braide were the defrauding of Emmanuel NnameZie of N4.6m, Babajide Babatope N2m, Nikky Best N5.2m,Mrs Ogini 6.1m, Innocent Okonkwo N9.6m, Pesu Temisaren N4.7m, Royal Oil N2.9m, Metna Oil and Gas N4m, King Simon N11m and Jonathan N5m among others.
A victim, Adam Balaka told Urhobotoday that the syndicate place order for oil product worth N2.4m, adding that after supplying the product, they issued him a GTB bank cheque. He said when he tendered the cheque at the bank, it turned out that there was no fund in the account. According to him, since then he had not set his eyes on any of the member of the syndicate until recently when they were arrested by the police.
The case of Mrs Ogini who lost N6.1m to the syndicate was pathetic. She has been supplying the syndicate oil products and they have been paying without complain. She transacted business with them for four times until she supplied two trucks of petroleum products worth N6.1m after which the group vanished into the thin air.
Reacting to the allegation before his encounter with journalist, Eneche who is described as the kingpin of the syndicate denied defrauding his victim, ascribing what happened to bad business. Accusing his victims of supplying expensive products, Eneche recounted, “ I am not a fraudster. I only owe them because business is bad. Besides, they made things difficult for me by selling their product to me at exorbitant prices knowing full well that their products were bad.”
Police assured that they would soon be charge to court as soon as investigation is concluded.