EFCC arraigns herbalist for impersonating Femi Adesina, NNPC boss to defraud Korean of N30m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned a 31-year-old herbalist, Alfa Jamiu Isiaka, for allegedly impersonating Femi Adesina, the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari of Media, former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerians National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru and other senior government officials, in defrauding a South Korean, Keun Sig Kim of N30 million under the pretext of securing for him NNPC approval/marketing form and license certificate to buy crude oil in Nigeria.

The EFCC, in a statement issued on Thursday, December 17, said Isiaka who was parading as a senior government official, deceived the foreigner into collecting various sums of money to the tune of N30 million under false pretext.

Part of the statement reads:

“In the course of the interrogation, Alfa Jamiu claimed that he used the money to conduct a sacrifice for the petitioner.

“According to him, part of the money was used to buy vulture, elephant skin, elephant intestine, the skull of a lion, and the liver of a gorilla.”

The anti-graft agency said it had earlier arraigned Isiaka on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, impersonation, and forgery of documents before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court.

The court, however, turned down Isiaka’s bail application and ordered his remand at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Mandala.

Read also: Couple, herbalist, one other arrested with human skull in Ogun

In the course of the trial, the EFCC presented witnesses and tendered various documents.

Consequently, the prosecution closed its case, setting the stage for the defendant to open its defence.

However, the EFCC said it received fresh intelligence on the matter, which led to more discoveries, forcing the prosecution to seek leave of the court to tender in evidence records of its new findings.

At the resumed hearing, counsel for the EFCC, O.B. Akinsola, said:

“My Lord, you will recall that this court had earlier granted our application to recall the officer who investigated this case. The witness is in court, ready to testify.”

Testifying, the witness, Dare Folarin, said further investigations on the intelligence received revealed that Isiaka, among other things, used part of the money he fraudulently collected from Kim to acquire choice properties in Ilorin.

“We discovered a mighty residential building built by the defendant at Oke-Fomo area of Ilorin. We were able to establish that Alfa Jamiu is the original owner of the said property.”

Pictures of the said house were tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court.

At the end of the sitting, Justice Abdulgafar adjourned he case till January 21, 2021, so the defendant can open his defence.

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