Ex-Corp Member Impersonates FCT Minister, Scams Contractors of N52M

Yemi Akinsuyi/

A former member of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who served in the office of the Minister in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is in police net over alleged impersonation of the minister to dupe contractors of N52million.

The FCT Commissioner of Police (CP), Bala Ciroma, while parading the 27-year-old suspect, Mohammed Bello Kolo, said he was arrested following a complaint received on October 28, 2019.

Ciroma said detectives attached to State Intelligence Bureau of the FCT Command swung into action and arrested the suspect.

The CP said, “In the course of impersonating the Minister of FCT, Mallam Mohammed Musa Bello, Kolo has so far defrauded his victims of N52 million cash, which he allegedly received in instalments under the pretence of giving them contracts.

“The suspect stated that he had access to classified information while he served at FCT as NYSC member.”

Exhibits allegedly recovered from Kolo included one Peugeot car, one tricycle, one 55 by 46 inches Samsung plasma TV, one dining set, 10,000 Watts fireman generator set, one washing machine, and Hisense deep freezer.

The suspect allegedly told the police that he purchased the items from the money he received as proceeds of the scam.

The CP promised to arrest Kolo’s other gang members, one Simon, who posed as the Director of Procurement, FCTA, and one Idris, who pretended to be Kolo’s Personal Assistant and is on the run.

Meanwhile, Ciroma said the suspect would be arraigned in court upon conclusion of the investigation, to serve as a deterrent to others.

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