27th February, 2013
A 39-year old suspected fraudster, Tony Obi, who was arrested by the police in Lagos, has confessed that he has no other business to sustain his family except duping people.
He said his wife knows that that is what he is doing to feed her and their two kids.
He also revealed that his wife prays for his success every morning before he goes out to look for people he would dupe.
He said he does not regard defrauding people as crime but rather a business because it involves two greedy people who engage in illegal transaction, adding that any of the parties might run into trouble and lose some money just like any other business.
The Abia State-born Obi said he abadoned his former business of selling foodstuff at Ijesha and joined a group of fraudsters after he was duped and since then there was no going back.
He also revealed that he started advanced fee fraud in Aba, Abia State, southeast Nigeria, and when the business was not thriving there, he relocated to Lagos to sell foodstuff and the business was also dull because he was not able to feed his family.
He said the little money he was managing in his foodstuff business was also collected by fraudsters.
He said he had to go back to advance fee fraud (419) which he temporary abadoned with his wife’s consent.
He described 419 business in Lagos as lucrative because there are more gullible victims who want to get rich over night without working for it.
Obi explained that his group does not use charms as many believe, adding that they only use words of mouth to enchant and deceive victims.
He revealed that his group usually operate around Ijesha, Cele, Mile 2, Oshodi and Maza Maza. On how his gang escapes arrest by the police, he said they settle the police and their business is complicated because the victims who are complainants usually have criminal intentions and most of the time, the victims withdraw from the matter.
Luck ran out on him when he allegedly defrauded Felix Ushie who resides at Amukoko of the sum of N128,000. He allegedly collected the money purported to buy Chemical to wash black papers into naira notes.
The victim believed him and gave him the money. Ushie was asked to come the following day to collect the money.
According to the victim, when he went to their Ijesha office, he was told he had been duped.
He went to Ijesha police station and reported the matter.
Obi was arrested and charged to Ijeshatedo Magistrate’s court, Lagos for alleged involvement in fraud under the Criminal Code.
He said he may consider leaving the business and go back to his village in Ubakala in Abia State after he settles the court matter.
—Cyriacus Izuekwe