27th February, 2020
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, has arrested three persons for allegedly and serially duping the Ibadan top chief, Oba Lekan Balogun of about N300million.
Balogun’s younger brother, Kola Balogun, a serving PDP senator representing Oyo South senatorial district exposed the scam in an emotional petition to the EFCC and suggested that his brother may have been hypnotised and charmed by the scammers.
“This request became necessary because we believe strongly that the victim has been hypnotised. He is not in a position to admit it and his health condition is deteriorating,” Kola Balogun said in the petition.
The commission’s acting Spokesperson, Mr Tony Orilade confirmed the receipt of the petition in a statement on Thursday.
The senior Balogun represented Oyo South Senatorial District in the senate between 1999 and 2003 as a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). He is the next chief to the Olubadan of Ibadanland in hierarchy as a member of the Aliwo family.
Orilade said that the suspects and others now at large, conspired to fleece the revered Ibadan high chief.
Orilade said that preliminary investigations into the allegations revealed that the suspects had, for the past four years, consistently collected various sums of money from the victim.
The EFCC spokesperson said that findings revealed that the sums were not attached to any particular project and that no receipt was issued to indicate the existence of any genuine transaction between the parties.
“As at the time of their arrest, the syndicate had received about N300 million through bank transfers from the Ibadan high chief,” Orilade said.
He said that the commission had designated for possible forfeiture four vehicles and six landed properties traced to their alleged fraudulent activities.
According to him, the commission is still on the trail of other suspects, as further investigations are underway.