CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A Ghanaian, Jona Borty has become rendered stranded in Lagos after falling for the pranks of two Nigerian fake spiritualists who invited and defrauded him of N15 million.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the Ghanaian was promised of spiritual deliverance and prosperity thereafter by the two men Olamide Fatai, 35 and Safara Babatunde, 47, whom he met through the social media.
On arrival in Lagos, the victim was lodged at Regal Suite & Hotel in Ojo, Lagos by the suspects where they told him the spiritual deliverance will be conducted.
However, the whole arrangement turned out to be a scam after he paid the money demanded to the suspects who bolted away without delivering him as they promised.
After a while that the victim has been abandoned, the hotel management also threw him out as he could not pay up his bill.
He became stranded and was wandering the streets of Ojo area until when he met a Samaritan to whom he explained his predicament.
He was taken to the police where he formally reported what happened and gave the security operatives the description of the suspects.
The police then trailed the suspects and arrested two of them while others are said to be at large.
At the station, police source said the two suspects admitted that they indeed defrauded the victim but have equally shared the money.
They were charged before Ojo Magistrates’ court for obtaining and stealing under the Criminal Code.
They pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, Mr A.A. Adesanya granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The court ordered that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler which must show evidence of means of livelihood.
They were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that Borty met the suspects through the social media platform of Facebook and they engaged themselves in chatting.
It was during their engagement on Facebook that they started given some spiritual insight about him and invited him to come to Nigeria for deliverance so that he can become rich in order to buy landed properties.
But on arrival in Nigeria. he was swindled of his money and abandoned in the hotel where the so-called prayer will be conducted after paying the money.
The matter was adjourned till 26 June 2017.