Man Dupes Friend N2.4m, Sets Him Up

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A suspected conman, Eruagah ThankGod has been arrested after he allegedly duped his bosom friend, Vitalis Darlinton to the tune of N2.4m and set him up at the computer village in Lagos.

The incident happened in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where both the suspect and the victim resided. But the suspect tricked the victim to Lagos and set him up at the computer village in Ikeja, Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS scooped that Darlinton had informed ThankGod that he had raised enough money to travel abroad for greener pastures. It was when ThankGod discovered that the victim actually had such huge money that he promised to assist him to procure travel documents.

It was gathered that after the victim gave him the money, he procured fake travel documents and brought him to Lagos having convinced him that he had already paid for the ticket for his travelling.

However, when they got to Lagos, Thankgod paid for an accommodation in a hotel at Iyana Ipaja area where they lodged. The next day, he took Darlington to computer village to buy a phone as he would travel the next day.

When they got to Computer Village, he bargained for a phone for N100,000 and told the owner of the phone that he wanted to withdraw money from a bank nearby and that Darlinton will wait behind at the store he returned from the bank. He collected the phone and pretended as if he was going to the bank but escaped to Ikotun to sell the phone.

He was unlucky after he had negotiated with the buyer who demanded for a receipt and he could not produce any. He was handed over to the police at Ikotun Division who detained and interrogated him.

Before then, Darlington has been rounded up in the market as a criminal and was about to be lynched after they had waited for ThankGod to no avail.
However, the victim was lucky as the police used ThankGod’s phone to call him. The victim picked the call and narrated to the police what ThankGod had done and that his life was in danger at the Computer Village.

The police then rushed down to Ikeja, rescued and brought him to the police station with the owner of shop, where the phone was recovered and given back to the owner.

During the interrogation, ThankGod confessed that he procured fake papers and as such the victim cannot travel abroad with the documents.
He was charged before Ejigbo Magistrates court for stealing the phone and for defrauding his friend.Govern to

He pleaded not guilty.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. K.Y. Layeni granted ThankGod bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties in like sum.
He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition.
The matter has been adjourned till 28 February, 2018.

Eruagah ThankGod