The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, July 19, 2013 arrested Dr. Princewell Arinze Chukwueze, an alleged serial fraudster, over a $92,000(Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars) scam.
Chukwueze was arrested in Abuja by operatives of the EFCC following a two month frantic manhunt for him. His arrest followed an allegation of fraudulent transactions involving him and a notable Bureau de change operator in Lagos on May 10, 2013.
Specifically, Chukwueze fraudulently introduced himself as Aboki J. Brown, a Director of African Development Bank based in Cote D’ Ívoire to the Bureau de change operator at Sura Shopping Complex, Sandgrouse, Lagos. He initially offered to buy $65,000 (Sixty-Five Thousand United States Dollars) from him but later increased it to $92,000(Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars). To pay the naira equivalent of the dollars, he requested the operator to meet him at a branch of Wema Bank Plc in Lekki, Lagos.
When the operator got to the bank with the dollars, Chukwueze fraudulently changed the bank where he intended to offer him the naira equivalent of the foreign currency and pleaded with the operator to accompany him in his siren-blaring Toyota Hilux Pick-Up Van to a “nearby branch of Zenith Bank Plc”. En route to the bank, Chukwueze picked up two armed men on the road who forcefully dispossessed the operator of the $92,000(Ninety-Two Thousand United States Dollars).
Chukwueze was arrested in Abuja while he was employing the same antics to defraud another bureau de change operator of $110,000(One Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars).
He was also alleged to have defrauded several bureau de change operators in Lagos and Abuja using different gimmicks. One of his victims, a lady who would not want to be named, said Chukwueze duped her firm of $110,000(One Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars). The suspect is also implicated in some other cases being investigated by the EFCC.
Items recovered from him included 21 different telephone handsets, complimentary cards of African Development Bank bearing Aboki J. Brown, fake $15,000 (Fifteen Thousand United States Dollar notes); different cheque books of different banks among others.
Chukwueze will soon be charged to court.
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