The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on June 26, 2019 presented video evidence against Jamiu Isiaka, a self-professed herbalist, who defrauded Keun Sig Kim, a Korean of about N30 million in an oil and gas contract scam.
The EFCC had on June 14, 2019 arraigned Isiaka before Justice Mustapha Abdulgafar of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and impersonation, to which he pleaded “not guilty”.
A prosecution witness, Dare Folarin, had at the last sitting on June 19, 2019, narrated how a petition was received from the Korean, and when investigations were carried out, it was discovered that Isiaka orchestrated the fraud.
Testifying further today, June 26, 2019 Folarin presented a video recording of the interrogation of Isiaka by operatives, in which the defendant admitted that he committed the offence, and further analysed how he used the proceeds of the crime.
In the video evidence which was displayed in the open court, Isiaka confessed that: “I went to Hajj together with my wife from the proceeds of crime, when we came back, we organised a big party for family, friends and other well wishers, I bought a Toyota Corolla car, I equally bribed the Police from S.I.B, Ilorin, Kwara State when they were investigating me, I gave them two million naira bribe so that they would allow me to travel to the Holy Land.”
Further analysing the video, Folarin said: “The accused person told the operatives of the Commission during interrogation that he does not understand English Language, and he also told this honourable court the same story.
“But we caught him while speaking in English Language in detention, and we recorded him to show to this honourable court.
“At the end of our investigations, I came to a conclusion that Jamiu Isiaka is the same person who impersonated the National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs. Amina Zakari, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adeshina among other notable Nigerians, and forged some documents, which he presented to the complainant in order to defraud him.
“We also discovered that the defendant collected over $80,000 from the victim under a false pretence that he would issue him a certificate of incorporation with NNPC.”
Justice Abdulgafar has adjourned the case to July 1, 2019 for cross-examination.