EFCC nabs ritualists who defraud Ekiti rep aspirants

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BY ABDUL’AZEEZ BUBA, JULY 27, 2022 | 02:30 PM


The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has arrested two herbalists who allegedly conspired to defraud an aspiring house of representatives member of N24 million in Ekiti.

Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the commission said the spiritualists arrested are Abiodun Ibrahim and Wale Adifala.

However, he said their accomplice, Ifawole Ajibola (AKA Baba Kalifa) is still at large.

They were arrested by operatives of the commission in Lagos on July 7 in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti’s capital.

He explained that trio allegedly conspired to defraud an aspiring house of representatives member in Ekiti of the sum of N24,071,000 which they claimed was used to secure spiritual help for the victim’s political ambition.

Mr. Uwujaren noted that in the course of the interrogation by operatives, Adifala admitted to collecting the sums of money from their victim, including N2.9 million, which he claimed was used to buy black, brown and white cows, rams, lavender perfume and rings, among other items, to carry out sacrifices at different times.

'I also linked up on the matter with Ifawole Ajibola, and we continued with the sacrifices together, until we were arrested by EFCC,' the suspect was quoted as saying.

'Our own is just to pray and do the necessary sacrifices, which we did, and to leave the rest to God, however, along the line, the zoning for the reps seat was taken away from Oye-Ekiti to Ikole-Ekiti,' he added.

The commission said Ibrahim, who had prior contact with the victim, admitted to collecting money at different times

The commission said their arrest followed a petition alleging that after collecting the said sum, the whole efforts came to a dead end.

They were arrested along with some of their instruments of trade, and would soon be arraigned, the commission noted.


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