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EFCC Arrests Aides of Nigerian Billionaire Folorunsho Alakija for Fraud
Vincent & Florence Ayewah
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has announced the arrest of an aide of Folorunsho Alakija, Chief Executive Officer, The Rose of Sharon, a Non-Governmental Organization, Vincent Ayewah and six others in a case of abuse of office, conspiracy, forgery, impersonation and theft of N3million (Three million naira only).
Their arrest came after Alakija made a petition alleging that Vincent, one of her employees fraudulently misappropriated the funds meant for the beneficiaries of the foundation’s empowerment scheme. She alleged that he impersonated and stole various cheques and withdrew monies meant for orphans and widows in care of the Foundation.
According to a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media & Publicity, EFCC, Vincent allegedly forged cheques of the Foundation’s Stanbic IBTC Bank Account and got his sister, Florence Ayewah and their friends to cash the forged cheques by presenting them with fake identity cards.
In the course of investigation, it was discovered that Vincent used his position to enlist his family members as beneficiaries of the scheme. Vincent confessed that he fell for the scam due to his poor upbringing and being the only bread winner of his family. He admitted that when cheques are ready for some beneficiaries of the Foundation, “I divert them and get my siblings and friends to cash at banks, I also arrange ID cards bearing the name on cheques with their faces on it for bank clearance”. Florence was arrested at a Stanbic IBTC bank in Lagos while trying to cash a forged Cheque number 03378 in the sum of N97, 000 in favour of one Ms Olubunmi Juliana Ishola.
Besides Vincent, six other members of the syndicate involved in the scam were also arrested.
Vincent admitted having at, various times, sent his younger sister, Florence and her friend Chinyere and his younger brother Emmanuel to banks with fake identity cards. He also admitted having acquired a Honda Accord car with registration number: UA 845 AAA from the proceeds of crime.
According to the statement, the suspects will be arraigned in court soon.
Nigerian billionaire oil tycoon, Alakija, was recently named as the world’s richest black woman by Ventures Africa.
