Dollar Theft Lands Prophet In Police Net
A man who identified himself as Moses Edwin, a prophet in
one of the orthodox churches in Lagos was on Friday arrested by men of Rapid
Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command for stealing $500 belonging to
a customer while trying to convert $5,000 into Naira.
Edwin, 50, a bureau de-change operator was arrested
beside Airport Hotel, Ikeja, along with another member three days after stealing
$500 from $5,000 bills presented to them by one Adebayo Lookman for conversion
into naira.
Bayo Lookman, a member the National Youth Service Corp
serving in Lagos, had in assisting her mother in the exchange of $5,000 to
naira drove to Airport Hotel where he met Edwin.
Edwin in changing the $5,000 in $100 notes promised an
exchange rate of N387 to a dollar. He thereafter invited another member of his
gang, Daniel Ebhohimen who together while confirming the dollars removed $500
before handing over $4500 back to unsuspecting Bayo in his car.
According to Bayo, “I was trying to help my mum change
the $5,000. I got to Airport Hotel and I met these men. After negotiating back
and forth, they offered me N387 to a dollar.
They took my details on the ground that the transaction
was going to be online. Edwin requested that I surrender the $5,000 bills for
them to confirm. Reluctantly, I gave them but I was monitoring them and I was
counting along with them in my car.”
He went further, “they were mid-way into the counting
when another member of the gang distracted me from the driver side of my car.
Thereafter, they handed back the money to me that it was complete and we headed
to one of the banks in Opebi....
"We entered the bank. All along they prevented me from
counting the money. At the bank, they told me the rate they gave me was no
longer possible and that they were backing out but I offered for a
renegotiation....
"I told them to excuse me and I went into the gent to
confirm the money. I counted it and $500 was missing. Before I could
come out
they had ran away. The door attendants told me he saw them rushing out
of the bank.... I went to where I met them but I couldn’t see them. It
was the third day that I saw Edwin and I invited the police.”
Edwin in his statement to the police, acknowledged the
crime. He stated he never followed the gang to bank, adding that he only ordered
his other gang members to finish up the transaction. He added that he was given
N10,000 when they came back from the bank.
Edwin there after assured the police that his gang was
ready for amicable settlement by paying back the missing $500.
The two suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations.
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